All I'm Asking For
by lloydskywalkers
Summary: The fun part about coming out of disasters alive is getting to put yourselves back together afterwards, but at least they're all together this time. And just in time for the holidays, too! If they can pull this off (and certain people don't escape the hospital again) it might be a good one. Latest: Christmas morning finally shows up, along with the last chapter of this fic.
1. Chapter 1

**I originally wanted to name this "Let's Get the Sh*T Kicked Out of Us by Love!" after Christmas Classic _Love Actually_ , because I'm a terrible sap (and it kinda fits tbh). But I figured that might not be the...best idea, so it's Mariah Carey lyrics instead.**

 **Anyways! Here's the result of what I _tried_ to write during nanowrimo this year, specifically with the holidays in mind. It is...probably going to be _wildly_ AU, because I'm once again drawing from the little we know about the Oni and coming up with a _completely_ hypothetical situation. But you know what I am _tired_ of being sad over these kids and their loose story ends and Garmadon and Lloyd and their current arc that gave me zero closure so! This is gonna be a happy fic.**

 **...mostly. It takes place after something that's pretty angsty (which will be explained as it goes) and it's the Garmadon family, so. It's gonna be mostly happy though, I promise.**

 **Also! I really love Christmas. That's gonna be noticeable.**

* * *

"Well, at least no one got incinerated by a dragon this time."

Sensei Wu gives Cole a dry look, and he ducks his head. "I mean, it was a lot easier with the Firstbourne coming to us, so we should all be grateful, which I am, and-"

"Cole," Wu says, smiling faintly. "I'm not upset."

Cole relaxes, a faint smile playing across his face. "Oh, good," he says. "I was just - everything that happened with your family, you know, and…"

Cole trails off, staring into the glass-windowed hospital room. If he had his choice, he'd be at the other two rooms down the hall, because that's where his _brothers_ are, but someone needs to check on Sensei Wu.

"I got them back, this time," Wu says, quietly. "That's what matters."

Granted, he's in a much better mood than Cole had been expecting, after the Oni crisis that potentially could've snowballed into the apocalypse if they hadn't gotten on top of it in time (heck, it still could - Cole is very uncomfortably aware that the Oni that paid them a visit are only a few of many).

But they're all alive. And Cole guesses Sensei Wu has enough to be thankful for, given that his brother isn't a psychotic shell of a human being anymore.

Cole stares at the person in the hospital bed again, the human features wildly disconcerting. He'd just gotten used to four-armed Oni Garmadon again, too. Not that he's complaining. It's nice to know that he's not going to be jumping out of the sky and trying to murder them anymore.

Cole glances back, down the hallway to the room he knows the others are crowded in. It's a good deal more than _nice_ , he knows that. It's a near miracle. He'd almost started screaming when Lloyd had faltered against his father during that last battle, and when-

Cole swallows. Anyways. Kai _had_ started screaming, and he's probably still lecturing Lloyd within an inch of his life as to why trying to save Garmadon again is never, ever going to be worth Lloyd's own life.

Cole sneaks a glance at Wu, chewing on his lip. He'll never say it, but he agrees with Kai — Lloyd's gone through enough for the man in the hospital room. If it hadn't been for Wu and the Firstborne…

Well. It worked out alright.

(Except for the fact that everything's nowhere near alright, and isn't going to be for a long, _long_ time, probably, but at least they're all gonna be here to work it out together this time.)

"You're quiet," Wu says, suddenly breaking the silence. "Is there something troubling you?"

Cole shakes his head. "No, no, I'm fine," he says. "I just - it's been a long day, I guess."

"That it has," Wu sighs, his eyes looking ages older as he watches his brother. "That it has."

"But it was a good one, right?" Cole says. "Good won out, like it always does. Just like you said it would."

"Yes, well," Wu gives a quiet huff of laughter. "I must admit, even I had my doubts."

Cole shuffles his feet. "Well, we didn't," he says, trying to forget the few crippling moments when they _did_ , when Cole thought he'd have to take over as leader again, then suddenly realized that he didn't even know if he could do that-

"Lose faith in you, that is," Cole finishes, awkwardly.

Wu looks at him, his eyes kind. "And I cannot express my appreciation for you all enough," he says. "But the credit for this one goes entirely to you, my students." He looks back at the window, musing. "Though I do wonder if it's appropriate for me to still call you that. You've all come such a long way."

"Well, we did raise you at one point," Cole says, fighting back a grin. "Kinda made us realize where Lloyd got it from-"

Wu bats Cole's knee lightly with his staff, and Cole breaks off into snickers. "Your maturity is still in question," Wu mutters. "Such that I wonder whether you'll all ever gain any."

"I think we do alright," Cole says. "I mean, some of us do," he adds, thinking of a few _certain_ members of his team.

…all of them, actually, except maybe Zane, but he's _seen_ the look in his eyes sometimes.

Wu smiles, a full, real one this time. "Regardless, I'm very proud of you all," he says, with quiet sincerity. "And I'm proud of you, Cole, as I always am."

Cole blinks at that, his heart swelling up at the words. "U-um, thanks," he says lamely, ducking his head.

Wu looks amused. "And I am grateful for your presence as well," he says, knowingly. "But you should join your teammates."

Cole turns red. "Oh no, I'm fine here, really-" he protests.

"Cole," Wu says, kindly. "I'm fine. I suspect Jay will be missing you, as will the others, though."

Cole feels a prick of guilt, and a flash of relief. "Of course, Sensei," he says, making to leave. He pauses, giving Wu the customary bow of respect. Wu returns it.

"Keep an eye on them for me, will you," he says. He pauses, looking away briefly. "My nephew, especially."

Cole nods. "I'll keep both eyes out," he says. Wu nods his thanks, and turns back to the room, watching the steady vitals of his brother through the window.

Cole hesitates. "Sensei…will he be alright?"

Wu doesn't look at him, his expression grave. "Physically, he should be fine. They want to keep him quarantined until he's stabilized, but my brother has survived far worse than this."

"Oh," Cole says.

Wu continues. "Emotionally, however…" his voice trails off, and he closes his eyes. "I suppose that will depend on how much he remembers." Wu turns back to Cole, his expression lighter. "Though that's nothing for you to worry about. Go be with your friends, Cole."

Figuring there's nothing more he can do (not that he's done much) Cole heads back down the hall. He can hear his teammates' voices even before he opens the room's door, loud as they are. He cracks it open, pausing as the familiar sound of their conversation washes over him, immediately putting some part of him at ease he hadn't even realized was anxious.

Cole spares Wu one last glance, biting his lip as he watches his master stand alone in the hall, keeping watch over his recovering brother. Wu looks back, and gives him a small smile, as if to say _get in there already_.

Cole returns it, letting go of the door and walking into the room. He's met with a chorus of greetings, bright smiles from his teammates where they're all sprawled around Jay's hospital bed - a sharp contrast to the expressions they've worn the past few weeks. Nya is sitting at the head of the bed next to Jay, Zane on the chair next to her as they flip through one of the magazines together. Lloyd and Kai are taking up the bottom half of the bed, and seem to be just finishing up wrestling for Kai's phone.

"Good to see things are orderly as usual here," Cole grins, taking a seat on the bed across from Zane.

"Maybe we'd behave if someone didn't abandon us for an hour," Kai says, releasing Lloyd from his admittedly gentle chokehold.

"Excuse me for being responsible for five minutes," Cole rolls his eyes. "'And - hey, what do _you_ think you're doing out of bed?"

Lloyd makes a face where he's sitting at the foot of Jay's bed, even as he winces, clutching his side where Cole _knows_ he's got enough stitches to knit his own sweater with. The bandages on his arms and middle are conveniently hidden by the oversized hoodie he's got on, which looks suspiciously like Kai's. Actually, the closer Cole looks, the sweatpants Lloyd is wearing look a little like _his_ -

"Aw, leave 'em alone, dirt clod," Jay says, grinning up at him, pushing slightly at the bandages that wind around his head. "He's keeping me company in my hour of need, unlike _some_ so-called friends-"

"Alright, geez!" Cole says, as Nya whacks Jay lightly in the arm with a hospital pillow. "I'm here now, so go ahead and enslave me to whatever you're making these poor saps do."

"It is bold of you to assume that we're actually indulging him," Zane says, the hint of a smile on his face as he flips through the magazine.

Jay throws his hands up. "All they've been doing is watching dumb videos and sending them to Faith," he whines. "And she's blaming _me_ for it! She keeps calling me _'zat annoying leetle blue ninja, who zounds like a bug'_ -"

"That's just a _butchering_ of her accent and you know it," Cole snorts. "Have some respect."

"Jay doesn't know what that is," Kai says.

"No one on this team does," Nya mutters, as Jay sputters at Kai, reaching vainly for him.

"- _will_ get out of this bed to hit you, fire brain, the IV can suck it-"

Amidst that disaster, Lloyd scoots closer next to Cole on the bed, his expression wavering. "Were...were you with my uncle?" he murmurs quietly, as the others burst into loud laughter again.

Cole nods. "Yeah, I talked with him."

Lloyd bites his lip. "Is he okay?"

"He's fine. A lot better than he was earlier."

Lloyd nods, falling silent as he looks down at the bed. Cole studies him, watching the way his jaw works.

"Garmadon looks like he's gonna be fine, too," he adds, careful to keep his voice low enough so that only Lloyd can hear.

Lloyd's hands fist tightly in the blankets, a flicker of some raw emotion crossing his face. "Thanks," he finally breathes, looking away.

"No problem," Cole says, ruffling Lloyd's hair and smiling as he scowls, ducking away. Cole shakes his head, leaning back as Lloyd joins in whatever heated debate they're having now.

He should probably make a call to his own father. Winning the fight is good and all, but nothing sets you at ease like knowing that your family's alright.

Cole watches Jay gesture wildly, grinning as if the bruises and bandages that decorate him aren't even there.

Yeah, he should call his dad.


	2. Chapter 2

**Ahhhh I can't thank you guys enough for your wonderful feedback on just the first chapter, especially with how vague this at the moment - thank you so so much, hopefully I'll get to all the replies soon!** **Replying to Guest here though, because I can't otherwise - there's going to be a _lot_ of fluffy bonding in this fic, and Kai and Nya will definitely have at least one bit together ;)**

 **In the meantime, Kai deserves so much more love than he gets, you guys. I love the fire boy so much.**

 **(Actually, I love every single one of these kids so much, I know it's painfully obvious that Lloyd is my eternal fave but I've never been in a fandom where I genuinely love every single main character with all of my heart like this? The ninja are just. They're such a good family, they deserve happiness and love and it's one am and I'm emotional)**

* * *

Kai doesn't want to go to sleep.

Well, alright. He'd love to get some _actual_ sleep, but he knows that the second he closes his eyes again, he's very likely going to relive a lot of moments he'd really rather _not_. And if sacrificing any and all sleep is what it takes to avoid that, Kai is more than happy to sneak into the hospital break room and swipe Weak Cup of Coffee No. Three from their Keurig and hide out on the bench in the hallway so he can chug it before he's caught.

He takes another sip of the watery coffee, grimacing briefly at the taste. He should've skipped on the creamer — it's way too flavored, sweet in a way only Lloyd can stomach.

Kai sighs, feeling a prick of guilt as he glances down the hall. He'd promised Lloyd he'd get some real sleep tonight. And he's really trying to be one of the few people that _doesn't_ break every promise they ever make to Lloyd.

Though he's got a feeling Lloyd didn't really believe him, anyways — the only times Kai's actually slept in the past few days have been in the hospital room on the tiny couch with the others. The fact that he even left the room is suspicious in the first place.

Kai stifles another yawn, leaning his head back against the wall and glaring darkly at the little holly wreath someone's stuck up as decoration. It's fake, obviously, not like the real one Nya smuggled in to stick on Lloyd's head earlier. But it's still infuriatingly cheery, which Kai wouldn't normally mind, but it's throwing off his attempts to brood with dignity right now.

Kai shakes his head, glancing down. He's got about half a cup of coffee left, but he can't bring himself to finish it, the sweet taste turning his stomach. Maybe he'll sneak back into the break room and swipe another cup, and just leave it black this time. Not…not right now, though. It's warm and quiet in the hallway, a contrast to the normal bustle of the day, and he feels his eyes start fluttering closed, almost against his will. He struggles to keep them open, but it's just…just five minutes, maybe, he won't even fall asleep, he'll just close his eyes….

- _screaming splits the air, a voice Kai knows too well - Jay is already down, Nya barely holding on, but Kai only has eyes for the sword that's now coated in blood, blood everywhere, and his heart stops because there's no way anyone can survive that much_ -

Kai jerks himself up with a strangled gasp, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. He blinks wildly before realizing that he's still in the dim-lit hallways of the hospital, the only sound the low hum of machines. There's no screaming, no blood, and he knows that wound has long been stitched up, and is well on its way to healing without trouble, if the doctor's claims are anything to go by.

But his heart rate, for some _stupid_ reason, isn't letting him take any comfort in that.

Kai curses, grinding the heel of his palm into his eyes. So much for not falling asleep. Now he feels sick again, and he's got a panicked need to burst back into the hospital room and assure himself that everything's okay, that he's not about to watch his little brother die in front of him-

The styrofoam coffee cup crunches in his hand, and Kai watches in numb dismay as lukewarm coffee streams over his fingers from the cracks he's created, dripping down his hand and onto the fabric of his sweatpants. Hopeless frustration floods him. Now he's gotta clean this up, too-

Kai blinks. He stares blankly as the liquid suddenly halts, flowing back up his hand and into the cup where it swirls slowly around, held steady by some unseen force. A hand gently takes the cup from him, and Kai watches in confusion as his mother carefully drops it in the trashcan, wiping her hand briefly on her sweater before walking back over to him.

Maya slowly takes a seat on the bench next to him, far enough not to stifle him, but close enough that he can smell the cinnamon scent he's coming to associate with her.

"Late night, huh?" she finally says, her soft voice breaking the silence.

Kai shrugs, not quite sure if he trusts his voice. "Not tired."

Maya gives a hum of laughter. "That's what your father always tells me," she says. "When he's being stubborn. I suppose you know a thing or two about that."

Kai looks away, biting his lip. He loves his mother, he does. But it's just…he went so long, _so long_ without her. He doesn't know _how_ to have a mother anymore, much less how to relate to her. He's always caught wrong-footed, half torn between wounds of abandonment that didn't heal quite right, and the crippling fear that she's horribly disappointed in him.

But she's his mother, and she's been nothing but kind and patient. He might not share her element, but the soft look in her eyes when she studies him, saying nothing, almost makes him think she understands.

Maya's eyebrows crease in concern, and she taps her fingers against her leg. "If you want me to drive you home, I can-"

" _No!_ " Kai bursts out before he can stop himself, panicked. He _can't_ leave — if he leaves, who's going to make sure Garmadon doesn't wake up and - who's going to protect -

"-shh, Kai, it's alright, I won't make you leave, I promise." His mother has one hand on his shoulder now, the other rubbing his back as he struggles to breathe normally. "Kai, sweetheart, you don't have to do anything you don't want to."

Kai shakes his head, briefly closing his eyes as he struggles to get his breathing back under control. This is humiliating, breaking down in front of his mom like a baby. He's better than this, he's _older_ than this-

Kai gives a shaky gasp, bringing his head up, and his mother's hand slows, retreating from his back. The one on his shoulder stays, though, and Kai is torn between shrugging it off and desperately wanting her to finish the embrace.

They continue to sit in silence for a bit, the only sound the low beep from some monitor down the hall and Kai's uneven breathing.

"You know," Maya finally speaks up, her voice gentle, a little like Nya's was when she was younger. "You don't always have to be the strong, unshakeable big brother." Kai stiffens, and Maya gives him the smallest of smiles. "Nya knows you're human. She's still going to look up to you if you need to take a break, or even cry, every once in a while."

Kai snaps his head away, flushing. He doesn't need a break. He _definitely_ doesn't need to cry. He wasn't the one who was hurt. He wasn't the one who almost lost everything.

…except he was, because that was one brother hurt and another almost dead, and the realization of how close Kai came to losing them, after everything they've been through-

Kai is horrified to feel a familiar burning building up behind his eyes. He squeezes them shut tightly. No, _no_ , he's not going to cry, not in front of her.

"And I know Lloyd will, too," Maya says, squeezing his shoulder a bit tighter. "You're his big brother too, after all."

Kai bites back a strangled sob. Maya finally moves, pulling him into her arms, and Kai goes rigid for a beat — before finally deflating, practically collapsing into her hold as his eyes flood.

"I couldn't stop it," he whispers, his voice hitching. "I couldn't keep them safe. Not Nya, not Lloyd, not Jay, I — I wasn't enough, and they almost…they almost…"

"Oh, Kai," his mother says, her voice heartbroken. "Oh, sweetheart." She tightens her hold on him, tucking his head in the crook of her neck, and Kai's hit by a wave of some long-lost, homesick memory so hard that it nearly punches the breath from him.

"You're more than enough," she whispers into his hair. "You're so, so much more than what you sell yourself as. But love, you can't fight the world. And you can't…you can't always protect those you love from everything, no matter how hard you try."

His mother sounds like she's two seconds away from crying herself now, and Kai gets the sense they're not just talking about him, now.

"But you _did_ ," she suddenly says, her voice strengthening. "They're alive, Kai, and they're going to heal. You've got your whole family, and they're not going anywhere. And I know they'd be every bit as devastated if you did."

Kai's throat is clogged, his eyes watering worse than they have in years. There are a thousand protests on his tongue, a thousand denials, reasons he should've done better, pain his siblings could've avoided if he'd just been _better_ , but…

"They're fine, Kai," Maya says. "It's okay. No matter what nightmares you have, tomorrow you're going to wake up and everything will still be okay. Nya and Lloyd will still look up to you like you're the sun, and your brothers will still be there to love you."

Kai's chest hitches. Almost against his will, he latches on to his mother, partly as if to ground himself and partly as if to keep her - keep her _here_ , like everyone else, like he can keep them all here with him, safe and happy just for _once_.

"And your father and I will be here, too," she whispers, her voice thick. "For good, this time, I promise."

 _Promise_. Like the promises Kai's made to his team, like the one he made to Nya.

Like the promise he made not to leave Lloyd alone.

He shifts, as if to sit up. "I'm - I should - the others-"

"Cole's with Jay, and Nya is with Lloyd," Maya says, softly. "I'm sure they'll be perfectly fine if you let yourself rest for a just a little bit."

"And - Zane?"

"Zane left with Pixal earlier," she says. "Something about an overdue reunion, I think. But they're fine, Kai. I promise. You can rest."

Kai wants to shake his head, but the exhaustion that's been building into something awful over the last week is finally hitting him, leaving him practically boneless. And with the assurance that the others are fine, and the knowledge that Cole and Nya would never let anything happen to Jay and Lloyd…

Kai's eyes finally slide shut, the world fading into a pleasant hum, and the last thing he's aware of is his mother's hand carding gently through his hair, and the warm, almost unfamiliar feeling of being _safe_.


	3. Chapter 3

**It's fluff folks, it's all fluff.**

 **This chapter was actually one of the most difficult I've written yet, like, ever - and it's probably only gonna be matched by Zane's POV chapter. There's a reason I haven't written him as much as I should, and it's because Zane is _hard to write_ , you guys. So is Pixal, at that. T-T ****But I love them both, and I wanted to see this, so here goes!**

 **(Also...I watched s8 religiously, and there was no trace of Borg. And I'm pretty sure they don't reveal Samurai X to anyone in s7, so I** _think_ **it's safe to assume there was no reunion? Fingers crossed I haven't gotten this terribly wrong.)**

 **Again, thank you guys so much for your wonderful feedback! I _swear_ I'm getting to replies, I'm just a little busier this week than I thought I'd be :'(**

* * *

Pixal's hand is jittering.

It's starting to become annoying, the steady tapping as her fingers drum against her side. She's reminded herself to stop over eight times now, only to find a few seconds later that her hands have started to twitch again, without her consent. It's infuriatingly illogical — that her hands won't obey her, glitching oddly as they are. One might even be able to call it shaking, or trembling, if Pixal was capable of such a thing-

A hand gently closes over hers, pulling it from her side. Fingers slide hesitantly through hers, as if asking permission. Pixal finishes interlacing their fingers, squeezing firmly back - it helps, a little.

"Are you alright?"

Over the soft holiday music playing, Zane's voice is quiet in the elevator, easy and gentle as it always is with her. It's a question born of care, one she knows she is free not to answer, if she doesn't wish to. Zane would never press her to do something against her will, not in a way others might.

He _would_ , however, keep insisting that she pull herself together and face this already, until her willpower crumbled under the force of his beseeching eyes.

 _Ridiculous_ , she thinks, fondly. That he can sway her that easily.

She couldn't say no, of course. Not only because Zane has…a few good points, but also because if he's willing to take time away from his family, when she knows how important being there is to him, then this must be of great importance to him as well.

And on another level, she'd gladly face a hundred frightening things for Zane, if it meant never having to relive the horror of losing him again. Twice is already two times too many, and Pixal has sworn to herself that if anyone even _tries_ to make it three _-_

Pixal takes an unnecessary but steadying breath. The recent events have brought back memories of the past year she normally prefers not to think about.

Losing Zane the second time brought about a few revelations. It hadn't been as…confusing, as the first time had, but that didn't make it _easier_. She'd had a better understanding of her emotions, and thus felt the lancing pain of it a hundred times worse. She had coped, though - dragged herself from the pits of misery and focused her energy on fighting back. A vast improvement to her performance the first time she'd lost him.

But then, the _others_ , to add to the pain. The combined sting of losing more than one person at once. She's come to care for all of them, more than she'd ever thought she could have. She'd felt the loss of every ninja - Jay's bright intelligence, Cole's easy kindness, Kai's snarking camaraderie. To such a point that she'd taken a completely irrational risk and smashed herself straight into Garmadon, if only for the sake of protecting Nya and Lloyd.

They've all undone her, haven't they. Once, she had feared she could never be capable of caring. Now, she cares too _much_.

Which is why it had scared her so badly, when they were all plunged into that danger again.

They all came out alright, though, some more so than others, so it's hardly of use for her to fret about it now. And that is not the problem she's currently facing, either. Maybe it's not correct to call it a problem, exactly, but she is…uneasy. The reminder of what it feels like, thinking that someone you care about is lost forever-

Well. This is, of course, assuming that he _does_ care for her like Zane tells her he does.

"I am fine," she says, and she's pleased to find that her voice conveys none of the turmoil her insides are in. Really, it makes no sense. Pixal has no reason to be afraid. She's known him longer than she has anyone else, hasn't she? And he's never been unkind to her, much less given her reason to fear him.

Perhaps…he is not the reason she's afraid. Perhaps the reason is _her_.

"I am…a little unsettled, imagining how he will react, I suppose," she finally says. "It's been so long, and I never even…I ought to have contacted him a long time ago."

"You're seeing him now," Zane says, his voice encouraging. "That's all that matters."

Pixal looks at him dryly, though her stare falters at the look in his eyes. She's run hundreds of computations on how one can express differing levels of love in their eyes like that, and Zane keeps surpassing each last look with the next. Impossible.

"What if I'm a disappointment to him," she murmurs, with a brief flare of shock - she hadn't meant to say that out loud. Well, she's already done it, now. "What if…I was never built to be a warrior, much less a samurai. What I do, what I _feel_ — I was never supposed to, Zane."

Zane's eyebrows furrow in concern, and he tugs gently on her hand, forcing her to face him. "Pixal, what you've done is incredible. He could never be disappointed in you." The corner of his mouth twitches. "And anyone who could possibly find reason to be disappointed in you is obviously an idiot."

"Obviously," Pixal says, with a breathless little laugh.

"Indisputably," Zane says, a full smile breaking out on his face as she takes his other hand, linking them together. "I've run the calculations."

Pixal rolls her eyes. "You're hopeless," she sighs. "But…thank you."

"Of course," Zane says, looking a little amused. "It's funny, though."

Pixal frowns at him. "What is?"

"Standard conventions suggest that _I_ should be the nervous one, considering-"

The elevator _dings_ , signaling they've reached their floor.

Both their heads turn, and Pixal's hands tighten around Zane's. He looks at her.

"Are you ready?"

 _Not entirely,_ she thinks. But Pixal is not a coward. She nods, though she lets him lead the way as the doors slide open. She blinks momentarily, taking in her surroundings. The top level of Borg Tower has long since been rebuilt, the traces of Garmadon's previous devastation wiped away. Instead of glowing purple rocks and black deformations, she now stands among sleek, silvery computers, humming sensors, and wall to wall windows that look out over Ninjago City.

 _Nothing can compete with having a view like this_ , he had told her once. _That's why I built this thing so ridiculously high in the first place, you know._

Pixal resists the urge to take Zane's hand again. They step down the small flight of stairs, and she notes the smooth ramp that runs alongside them. As they pass a row of monitors, she hears the low murmur of voices grow louder, and the room's occupants finally come into view.

There's not many of them — just a handful of people scattered around a display table, talking in hushed but enthused voices. There's a woman she recognizes as his secretary, her hair pulled into the same severe bun it always is. There's also a tall man she recognizes as a prominent investor, and two people in lab coats she doesn't recognize, but suspects are some new bright-eyed interns.

And then, tapping the edge of his wheelchair excitedly, his other hand thumbing at his pad-

Zane clears his throat, and Pixal about murders him. The others turn, looks of half-recognition sparking in some expressions as their conversation quiets and dies. Cyrus Borg's sentence cuts off in a strangled gasp, his eyes going wide. The pad slips from his hands, clattering to the floor.

(It doesn't shatter, because he doesn't make things that break easily, some vague part of Pixal's mind reminds her.)

"Pixal?" he breathes, as if he can scarcely believe that she's in front of him. His companions at the table seem to take this as cue to leave, and Pixal almost wants to follow them.

She knows full well she doesn't possess a human heart, but it seizes nonetheless. She should have warned him, Pixal berates herself. She should have called first, should have given him the option to see her or not, instead of forcing herself in like this-

"Sir," she says, rallying herself, schooling her expression into the careful politeness she used to wear. "I…"

She's lost for words. Pixal doesn't understand. She isn't supposed to be lost for words, ever, this is unprecedented.

Zane saves her, speaking up quietly. "I don't know if you've heard, but she found her way out of my head," he says, with a hint of a smile. "It should have happened much sooner, and I apologize for that."

Cyrus Borg continues to stare with wide eyes, and then Zane — Zane backs away, leaving the two of them alone, how _could_ he.

Borg finally shakes his head, as if clearing himself from a daydream. There's a light slide of wheels across the smooth floor as he rolls up toward her. Pixal stands frozen, at a loss. Borg finally stops just in front of her, and looks up. "Would you mind, terribly, bending down just a bit?"

Pixal frowns, confused. "Sir…?"

Borg gives a wet laugh. "I'm trying to _hug_ you, Pixal. I can't quite throw myself into your arms like this, can I - oh!"

In the past, Pixal might have hesitated. She would have questioned the motives, maybe, that someone would want to embrace her. Would have argued the futility of such a gesture, simply throwing your arms around each other and hanging there uselessly.

But this Pixal has grown, has spent time among the people of Ninjago and taken the effort to learn their customs. She's watched the ninja, she's been included in their family, she's spent hours upon hours with Zane -

And she knows the value of love.

She throws herself into his arms, some of her hair falling loose as she buries her face in his shoulder. Borg gives a tiny hitch of breath. For a moment, she fears she's overstepped — but then Borg's arms wrap tightly around her, holding her close.

Borg laughs, his voice endlessly happy through the obvious tears.

"I've missed you _so much_ , Pixal."

Pixal's eyes shutter closed. "I missed you too," she says, low enough for only him to hear. "I'm sorry I've been away so long."

Borg pulls back, looking at her incredulously. "For heaven's sake, Pixal, you don't need to apologize. I said you were free to do as you wished, didn't I? And I can't help but suspect you've been having a much more exciting time out there than holed up in here."

Pixal's mouth quirks up into a smile. "Exciting is…one way to put it."

Borg's eyes light up. "Oh, but I want to hear all about what you've been up to!" he says, eagerly. "And - Zane, my boy! Don't just stand there, I've missed you too, after everything with those awful Sons of Garmadon, I feared the worst for a long time, you know-"

Zane shakes his head, but he steps over to them, smiling at Pixal as he takes a seat by her side.

Pixal is the one to link their hands this time, lacing their fingers tightly together beneath the table as they talk animatedly with Borg, her face split with a smile so large she doesn't quite understand it.

Whoever claimed that she was the vastly superior nindroid was clearly out of their mind. It's the only way to explain why Zane continues to end up being the one who's _right_.


	4. Chapter 4

***Weeps* Lloyd I'm so sorry, I'm _so_ sorry your chapter is mostly angst, I swear this is heading toward fluff, there's just. There's a lot to deal with, if he's gonna get there.**

 **(As always, thank you so much to everyone who reviewed! Gives me the strength to edit this mess.)**

* * *

Lloyd hates hospitals.

It's not even because he's scared of needles (which he _isn't_ , Kai, thanks a lot), or because he dislikes doctors, or whatever. It's not even because hospitals mean Lloyd _really_ screwed up this time, 'cause if it's enough to land him there instead of in the medical wing of the _Bounty_ , it's bad.

(Not that there's even a _Bounty_ for him to end up in anymore, but…yeah.)

Lloyd hates hospitals because hospitals are _lonely_. They're cold and sterile and quiet and boring, and he hates them.

This has…a little bit to do with previous hospital experiences.

Not anything that recently, though this time is setting a record. But he has enough memories - scattered things from when the kids at Darkley's played a bit too rough, long nights spent pacing down the hallways and worrying over his teammates. But the only other time he's _really_ needed to be in the hospital, he cheated and got by with tea and…some sort of magical power-sharing cure, which was really effective, to be honest, and he doesn't get why he can't just drink more tea _now_ and be done with it.

He also _despises_ sitting still in bed, 'cause then all he's left to do is _think_ about stuff, and even with everyone going back and forth between him and Jay all the time, the doctors still think it's a great idea to isolate Lloyd occasionally because he needs "actual, proper sleep" or something.

 _Ha_. Like Lloyd even knows what that is, these days. He can take another nap on Kai's shoulder later, that's been keeping him going for now.

So really, it's not _Lloyd's_ fault that the second he's left alone, he powers off the monitor they've stuck to him and silently slips out of the room for the second time. (Okay, it's more like the sixth, but they still can't prove that he snuck out the fourth time, since Uncle Wu was the one to drag him back in.)

Lloyd adjusts the sleeves of Kai's hoodie, careful to cover his hospital bracelet. His feet are painfully bare, since he hasn't managed to swipe any shoes yet, but Lloyd can improvise for now. Peering out the doorway, Lloyd braces himself, tensing up.

Then he tears from the room like a flash, sprinting straight past the nurse on duty at the desk.

"Oh for - no, stop, not again!"

It's too late - Lloyd has already slid into the elevator, and he cackles victoriously at the nurse as the doors slide closed before she can even make a move. Punching one of the buttons, Lloyd gives a breathless laugh of triumph-

Before immediately hissing in pain, doubling over against the wall and clutching at his side.

 _Oh_ , he shouldn't have sprinted that hard, Lloyd curses himself. His side flares in agony, and Lloyd squeezes his eyes shut, willing it to _stop_. He's so close — he _can't_ tear the stitches now, then he'll be stuck here forever and he'll _actually_ die.

(He makes a quick mental reminder not to make that kind of joke in front of Kai and the others, though.)

After a few more moments of sharp pain, Lloyd gives a sigh of relief as it finally starts to ebb a bit, leaving him with an uncomfortable but bearable ache in his side. The painkillers he's supposed to be on would probably help with that, he thinks, dully. He straightens, perking up as he reminds himself — he's free! Granted, he probably can't ( _shouldn't_ ) ditch the hospital entirely, or anything, but at least he isn't trapped in that stupid little room.

The elevator _dings_ , and Lloyd grins. This is the farthest he's made it yet. Taking the elevator was a _way_ better idea than taking the stairs.

Lloyd blinks as the doors slide open, momentarily blinded by the brightness of the room. The hospital lobby is drastically less crowded than when he'd been brought in, but he supposes that's a good thing. The windows have been un-boarded as well, light streaming in through the cold-fogged panes, illuminating the cheerful Christmas decorations put up for the kids and other visitors. Lloyd seems to be the only straggler in the lobby today, though - the only other people in the room are a bored-looking security guard and the receptionist, typing away at his computer.

Who hopefully won't bother him, Lloyd prays-

"Hey, can I help you?"

 _Rats_. Why couldn't he have been one of those lazy receptionists, who doesn't do their job?

"Um, no - no thanks, I'm just…I'm good," Lloyd says, lamely, immediately flushing.

The receptionist narrows his eyes at him. "O- _kay_ ," he says, suspiciously, and Lloyd starts sweating. "Mind if I ask what you're doing here, then?"

"I'm, uh, visiting my friend," Lloyd says, not even sure why he's bothering to lie anymore - why's he gotta have this habit of slowly digging his own grave that much deeper? "He's uh, Jay Walker, the lightning ninja?" And here he keeps going, _why-_ "I'm the Green Ninja, so I know him, I swear I'm not here for anything bad-"

"Woah, woah, hold on-" the receptionist is doing a violent double take, studying Lloyd for real now. "You're _Lloyd Garmadon?_ "

"Uh….yes?" Lloyd says, awkwardly. His hair hasn't grown _that_ much, has it? Maybe it's the eyes, they've been acting up on him lately…

Whatever. He just hopes the receptionist fixates on the fact that he's Lloyd Garmadon, local Green Ninja and son of evil incarnate, instead of Lloyd Garmadon, recently escaped patient from Room 405.

"Dude, no way," the receptionist grins. "The staff's gonna _freak_. So am I, actually, you guys are like - heroes, you know?"

"Um," Lloyd says, flustered. "I wouldn't call myself a-"

"I'm Jin, by the way," the receptionist says, steamrolling over Lloyd's weak protests. "Sorry for all this, but you're like - especially after you went on TV and stuff, I had _chills_ -"

"Um, t-thanks," Lloyd says, wishing the earth would swallow him whole. It's…nice that he can inspire people like this, and he loves the people of Ninjago, but…

He just doesn't _deserve_ it, and he doesn't get why he's the only one who seems to realize that.

(Except for Harumi, maybe, and his fath-)

That thought dies a violent death as Lloyd squashes it.

"Jin!"

A voice calls out from where Lloyd just was, saving him from answering. The receptionist straightens, abruptly shutting off his tirade as a tall, dark-haired woman in hospital scrubs strides out of the elevator. "Stop harassing people and get back to work," she frowns.

"I'm not harassing people, it's called being friendly, Tamara," Jin snarks, twirling his pencil. "Which you could stand to learn something about, by the way."

Lloyd freezes. Wait, isn't Tamara the name of the head nurse on-

" _You!_ "

Lloyd yelps as the woman corners him, grabbing his arm before he can escape, a truly terrifying look in her eyes. " _You're_ the one giving us so much trouble, sneaking little-"

"Bedside manner, Tamara, bedside manner."

The woman - _Tamara_ scoffs, though her hold around his arm loosens. "You try hearing seven consecutive complaints that he's made a run for it," she says. She turns her glare on Lloyd. "Do you want to rip your stitches open and start gushing blood all over the floor?"

Jin buries his head in his hands, muttering about " _sensitivity"_ and " _stop talking so much about blood_." Lloyd scowls, looking down. "No," he grumbles, trying not to sound like a petulant child.

Tamara runs a hand through her hair, looking exasperated. "Then _stay_ in your _room_ ," she says, as she starts leading them back to the elevator. Lloyd feels uncannily like he's a bratty eight-year-old the guys are about to hang off a roof again, and he _really_ doesn't like it.

The receptionist gives him a sympathetic look as he goes. "I'll try and score a shift on your floor," Jin whispers to him, as they pass. "I'm way chiller than Tam, I can get you into the break room and everything-"

Tamara swats Jin on the head, tugging Lloyd along. Once they're in the elevator, Lloyd tugs himself free, crossing his arms and glaring. Tamara glares back. Lloyd glares harder.

He _might_ catch a flicker of amusement across her face, but then they get to his floor, and Lloyd suddenly has a lot more to worry about. He freezes, swallowing nervously. Nya stands in the hallway, her expression mildly murderous as she glares at him.

"Here," Tamara says, depositing Lloyd next to her. "Make sure he stays. I'll be back to check on him in a couple of hours."

"Thanks," Nya says, smiling at Tamara as she leaves. She then turns, her glare returning. "Seriously?" she says, sharply. " _Again?_ You're better than this, Lloyd."

Lloyd looks down, shifting his feet. "Maybe I'm not," he mutters.

Nya inhales sharply in frustration. "Don't _give_ me that — come on, Lloyd, you know you shouldn't be out, you _know_ it's just causing trouble. Why do you keep doing this? Even _Jay's_ not this bad, what's your problem?"

Lloyd feels his cheeks heat, his emotions walking the fine line between snapping in anger or coiling up in hurt and shutting down. But this is Nya, and she..she deserves better than that.

"I just...I can't..."

Lloyd bites his lip, eyes squeezing shut. How is he supposed to explain the awful, nervous anxiety, the itching feeling from battle that never really left? The constant, nagging need to be with his family all the time, and the warring reminder that he doesn't want to annoy them with it?

How is he…how is he supposed to explain that the hospital room five doors down from him is the most terrifying thing in the world right now?

Nya suddenly gives a soft exhale, and Lloyd feels her arm come to rest on his shoulder. "Okay," she says, quietly. "Okay. I get it. I do, really. Just…try and think about us, okay? You…you _really_ scared us, you know."

Lloyd nods, feeling a vicious stab of guilt. He really _doesn't_ mean to keep worrying them, and he hates himself for having caused them enough pain already. He just…he can't think straight, sometimes, and he….

He just hates hospitals.

"Hey," Nya says, her grip on his shoulder tightening. "You're not gonna be in here forever, you know? Sensei Wu said that dragon side of yours oughtta kick in soon, too." She smiles at him, and Lloyd weakly returns it.

"In the meantime," Nya continues. "I talked to the orderly, and they're gonna make you guys a joint hospital room."

"Huh?" Lloyd blinks.

Nya grins. "You and Jay are gonna be roommates until you're healed up. And the best part? We get twenty-four hour access now. So kiss your escape heists goodbye, green machine, you're never gonna be alone now."

Lloyd stares at her, registering what she's said. He and Jay are gonna share a room. They can be there all the time now, and he's got an excuse for them to be. And he won't have to worry as much about what's a couple rooms down, because he won't be alone anymore-

Unbidden, a smile edges its way up his face.

Nya's eyebrows raise. "Huh, I thought I would've gotten at least one crack about Jay being a motormouth," she muses. She squints at him. "You're good with this?"

"Oh! Um - well, yeah, Jay's gonna be - he's gonna be…talking…" Lloyd's sputtering trails off weakly. Realization sparks in Nya's eyes, and her expression softens.

"Lloyd," she says, gently. "You know we'd happily break every rule in the hospital not to leave you alone. I just thought you might want…"

Lloyd shakes his head, looking down. "Didn't wanna be annoying," he murmurs.

Nya makes a pained sound, and she slings her arm around him. "Oh, you're annoying, alright," she says, but she's got that fond look on her face, the one she uses when she's telling him sappy stuff. "But we love you. Like a barnacle you're stuck with for life."

"I'm a _barnacle?_ " Lloyd says, trying to sound offended even as a giggle escapes him.

"The best of barnacles," Nya says. She tilts her head, looking at him again, in that way Kai and Nya have that makes Lloyd feel a little like they're x-raying him.

"You know," she says, her voice soft. "I don't - I'm not gonna force you to do anything. I'm not even gonna pretend like I think it's a great idea, or even a decent one, because I _saw_ what he did to you, and what happened because of-"

Nya cuts off, swallowing, and her arm squeezes a little tighter around him. "But your uncle mentioned it might…it might help. Going to see Garmadon, while he's still asleep."

Lloyd stiffens, his heart rate picking up. Which is — which is ridiculous. He's past this. He made his peace with everything that happened in the past, Harumi and Kryptarium and the tower and — all that. He's over it. He isn't _traumatized_ by it, or anything some people like to suggest.

Lloyd loves his father, just like before. Just like back before everything, when his dad was still Sensei and Lloyd could tell him anything. So he'll just…bounce back to how he was then, that's all. _Easy_.

"Yeah," he says, slightly angry at himself and not entirely understanding why his voice trembles. "Yeah. I'll visit him."


	5. Chapter 5

**If I can't resurrect the Bounty with sheer willpower, then believe me, Nya can, she can do anything, she's amazing-**

 **Anyways, here's a Nya chapter, with guest appearance by her dad figures :D**

 **(And _ahhhh_ again, I'm so thankful for everyone who takes the time to review! Especially since I'm trying to get chapters out like, twenty times faster than normal.)**

* * *

"I…don't know, Nya."

"What do you mean, you don't know?" Nya says, just a tad snappishly as she glares at her father. She's only explained this like, twenty times now. "I want to fix the _Bounty_. It's as simple as that."

" _Fix?_ " Ronin says, staring at her blankly. "Nya, do you…you do remember what happened, right?"

" _Yes_ ," Nya says, tightly. "Hard to _forget_."

"Well, you know, trauma and stuff-"

"I get it, Ronin!"

"Then what are you goin' on about for?" Ronin says, throwing his hands up in the air. "You know what we're working with!"

"I _do_ , and I'm saying it's possible!" Nya snaps.

Her father, who's been warily surveying the match, leans forward. "I'm not…crazy about agreeing with him, sweetheart," Ray says, throwing a suspicious glance at Ronin. "But he's right. Building a ship is a huge task. And in such a short time…"

" _Re_ -building," Nya stresses. "Pixal's already got the schematics down, she knows every inch of that ship. And Ronin's got the pieces of it that were left behind stashed away somewhere, so we'll have those-"

"Wait - wait, who's saying _I_ have them?" Ronin says, affronted.

Nya cuts him a look. "I _know_ you took them. So you better not lie to me."

Ronin raises an eyebrow, and he crosses his arms. "Who says I didn't scrap the pieces and sell 'em?"

"Everyone already knows you're a giant sap underneath all that ugly scruff, Ronin, so you can stop pretending," Nya says smoothly, ignoring Ronin's indignant sputter and her father's snort of laughter. "You wouldn't sell those pieces, so where are they."

"Back of his shop," Dareth says, as he drifts by their table in the empty bar, whacking at Ronin's feet so he can sweep beneath him. "Saw 'em there the other day, he's got 'em packaged up real safe-"

"Thank you, for that," Ronin hisses. He sighs, leaning back in his seat. "Fine, you got me. But Nya, even with those pieces…they're not much."

"They're enough!" Nya insists. "And Pixal can fill us in with whatever else we need!"

Pixal tilts her head, her green eyes flashing. "I did spend some time plugged into the ship," she says. "I have the schematics committed to memory. The only issues would be the construction and resources."

"Which are a _lot_ ," Ronin says, pointedly.

Nya tightens her hand around her glass, just barely conscious that the water in it is starting to get a bit restless. "Come _on_ , we've worked with way less and come through," she says, trying to keep her voice even and not, say, razor sharp like she wants it be. "Why are you so against this? Do you just _want_ it to fail? Do you think I can't pull it together just 'cause I'm-"

"Nya," Ray interrupts, gently. "We're not saying we can't rebuild it. We're just saying it's going to take time. Any work that's worth its salt does. You rush a sword while making it, it's gonna shatter in your hands when you need it."

"I know, I know," Nya huffs, leaning her chair back on two legs. Ugh, why's her dad gotta be so _reasonable?_ She feels bad about being the snappish one now. "But we _have_ time, and I'm saying that it's enough to at least get the main part ready. I can…it doesn't have to fly by then. Just be built enough to live in."

Ray exchanges a glance with Ronin, while Pixal remains silent. Nya's hands dig into the edge of the table. She's _sick_ of people telling her things aren't possible. First, it was Sensei Wu, with their plan. Then it was the Oni, snarling in her face, and half the population of Ninjago as they cowered in fear. Then it was her team (even if they'll never admit it) about surviving, and then it was the doctors, trying to _lie_ to her as her parents struggled to hold her and Kai back from storming the operating room, telling her the _chances of survival were slim —_ as if they hadn't been before, as if they could convince her that Jay might not remember her, as if she was actually going to lose her little broth-

Nya blink furiously, trying to push those awful memories from her mind.

Haven't they proven, over and over, that overcoming impossible odds is what they're best at?

"I just-" Nya cuts off, inhaling tightly. "It's _Christmas._ And after everything we've been through lately, I-" Nya is horrified to feel tears welling up, and she quickly swipes at her eyes, pulling herself together. "I want us to be able to spend Christmas at _home_. Together. Not squished into some cheap apartment, or half in the hospital, or — I just want it to be a good one."

The table falls into silence, Dareth momentarily halting his sweeping. Ray exchanges a look with Ronin again, but it's different this time — a little softer, a little more conceding.

"Well," Ray finally says. "I do have experience working with ships," he says, wryly. "The Vermillion at least taught me how to work with something other than weapons."

Pixal slides her blueprint across the worn table again, speaking up. "Mr. Borg told me that he wants to help us in any way he can." Nya wonders if she even knows she's got a proud little smile on. "I'm sure he would be more than happy to contribute to building the ship."

"If we've got Borg on our side, then heck, we might actually be able to pull it off," Ronin muses, staring down at Pixal's blueprint. "You're gonna have to help with the sail design, 'cause that's an archaic build if I've ever seen it, but…" He sighs, shaking his head, then looks up at Nya with a wry smile. "I guess it could be possible."

Nya feels her face split into a smile. "I told you so," she says, smugly. Her father gives her a look, and Nya is almost surprised to feel her cheeks flush. She's used to being the one giving those kind of looks, not the other way around. "I mean, um, thank you. All of you, seriously, it means…it means a lot."

"I am more than happy to help," Pixal smiles at her. "It is the least I can do. Christmas is…the time for giving gifts, right? I have been looking for a way to outdo Zane this year, anyways."

Ronin snorts, standing up from his seat and stretching, wincing as he does. "Someone's gotta watch out for you group of brats," he sighs, as he walks over to the bar, very likely for another drink. "So yeah, sure, let's build 'em all a giant flying ship for Christmas. Why not."

Nya grins brightly at his back, and Ray shakes his head. Her father pushes his chair back, edging over to Pixal. "Let's take a look at this design, then. You're going to have to help me understand a lot of it, but I think I get the gist of it."

"Of course," Pixal says, smoothly. "The most difficult part is going to be re-creating the main cabin, as that was lost to the First Realm…"

Nya tunes her father and Pixal out as they talk, finishing her glass of water and walking over to Ronin, where he's leaning against the bar table. He nods at her as she approaches him, looking a bit wary.

"Sorry for getting snappy at you," Nya says, leaning against the table next to him.

Ronin shrugs carelessly. "Nah, I had it coming," he says. He looks away, as if debating over something, before finally deflating, looking resigned.

"Speakin' of being a horrible softie," he says, reaching for his jacket, cutting her a glare as he does. "Which was uncalled for, by the way."

"I said you're a giant sap," Nya says, unapologetically. "But horrible softie works too."

Ronin's eyes turn skywards, nearly rolling into the back of his head. "Don't know _why_ I put up with you," he mutters. "But uh, I got somethin' for you. In the vein of Christmas, and all that."

Nya stares at him. "You. Got me. A _Christmas_ present."

Ronin scowls. "It's not a present," he says. "It's a souvenir I snagged a while back. It also…might have belonged to you in the first place."

Nya rolls her eyes. "What'd you do, steal my tech? Snag a Samurai X suit?"

"Not quite," Ronin says, pulling something from his jacket pocket and handing it to her. Nya looks down at the object in her hand, then blinks rapidly.

"You - what - where did you _find_ this?" she gasps, her eyes wide as she carefully turns the slightly-beaten, familiar bracelet over in her hands, the red gem shining bright, the worn gold looking suspiciously polished. "I thought - I lost this ages ago, how did you-"

Ronin gives a long-suffering sigh. "Wreckage of the _Bounty_ ," he mutters. "Found it beneath what was left of the floorboards. Thought it looked familiar."

Almost on autopilot, Nya slides the bracelet over her wrist, feeling a long-lost sense of nostalgia as it settles into place. The tech she'd installed in it is likely useless by now, long since abandoned when Nya became a ninja, but it's — it's _her_ bracelet, the one she wore through the Serpentine and the Overlord and everything else, the one Lloyd used to fiddle with when he was younger, the one thing she'd had left from her mother-

Nya has to blink back tears for the second time in an hour. This could be embarrassing, but she's too floored at how ridiculously _sweet_ this is.

"Thank you," she whispers, running a finger over the bracelet. "It, uh - means a _lot_."

Ronin waves her off, but Nya doesn't miss the spark of satisfaction in his eyes. "S'nothing," he says. "It's nice to return things instead of stealing them for once, I guess."

"Yeah, well," Nya says, sniffling slightly and grinning at him. "You're a giant, horrible, sappy softie-"

"Now I'm regretting it, would you stop insulting me?" Ronin growls, but his voice is lacking any real venom. "Just shatter my reputation to pieces, go ahead."

"Like you have a reputation," Nya says, and Ronin swats her on the head with a napkin.

"Merciless brat," he mutters, as Nya snickers. Ronin shakes his head, changing the subject. "Speakin' of brats, how much longer do the kids' got in the hospital?"

"Huh? Oh yeah," Nya says, her humor fading a bit. At least the reminder doesn't bring _quite_ such a terrible sinking feeling to her heart anymore. "Um, they should be out by the end of the week, actually, if all continues to go well."

"Hey, that's not too long," Ronin says. "Lot better than last I heard."

"Yeah, I dunno if it's the elemental powers or just them being stubborn, but they're healing up fast," Nya says, feeling the customary swell of relief. "The doctors said they should be good as new, save, uh….some scarring."

Ronin winces. "Yeah, I doubt greenie's gonna come out of that with anything less than one heck of a scar," he says. Nya looks down, her fingers clenching and unclenching.

She should have known. She should have _known_ what Lloyd would do, should have been there — she'd been so focused on Jay, so terrified she'd already lost him, blood streaming from his head like it was, she hadn't seen Lloyd before it was too late-

"Nya, hey, come back to me." Ronin's hand is gentle on her shoulder, his voice concerned, and Nya snaps herself out of it, blinking rapidly.

"Sorry," she croaks, giving a shaky exhale. "Bad - bad memories."

Ronin gives her a look that's almost sympathetic. "Yeah, I'll bet," he says, heavily. Nya rubs at her eyes, suddenly feeling exhausted. She doesn't want to feel tired, 'cause she's got a lot to do if she's gonna pull this off, but it's…

It's been a _really_ long week.

"Tell you what," Ronin speaks up. "You focus on keepin' those two healing in the hospital, I'll keep an eye on construction with your old man. You can join in when you have the time, alright? And I'll start rounding up your other friends, too." Nya looks up at him, a bit confused. Ronin shrugs. "What, you're _not_ thinking of celebrating? It'd be nice to have everyone in one place for somethin' happy for once."

"…celebrating?" Nya questions, almost blankly.

"Lloyd and Jay aren't gonna be in the hospital forever, and they'd probably kill for an actual human experience," Ronin says. "And there's, y'know, the tiny detail that you saved all our skins. Again."

"I…I guess," Nya says, looking down. Her reflection stares back at her from the bracelet, glimmering in the light. It's a lot different than what it used to be, but not by _too_ much.

"Yeah," she says, looking up. "We should celebrate."

"There we go," Ronin says. He leans back over the counter, calling to Dareth. "Hey, start stocking up on that good liquor you always get, we're gonna need it!"

Nya's father looks up from the blueprints, glances between Ronin and Nya, and immediately starts sputtering.

"A party for _kids_ , Ronin, they don't need alcohol-"

"Have you _seen_ the daddy issues the kid your kids adopted has got? We're gonna need a lot-"

"Give Lloyd alcohol and you're dead," Nya says.

"Alright, alright," Ronin huffs, shaking his head and stalking off toward the store room. "Can't take a joke, lighten up."

Nya calls after him. "Thanks for the Christmas present!" she says brightly, and grins as she sees Ronin turn scarlet. "I love it!"

"And you keep your mouth shut about it!" Ronin calls back, and Nya snickers, leaning back against the bar as he disappears out the door.

"So," Nya turns as her father steps over, his arms crossed lightly. "How'd you end up friends with an ex-con criminal, again?"

Nya snorts. "I don't know if 'ex' is the right term," she says. She quickly amends at her father's stare. "I mean, he's not doing anything bad. He just gets…creative, sometimes, with the law. Which we kinda do too, sometimes, when it's necessary."

"I'd lecture you, but I feel like I've lost that privilege," Ray says, wryly. "It might, uh…be a bit hypocritical of me, too."

"Oh, so we're a whole _family_ of lawbreakers?" Nya grins. Ray shakes his head.

"Not my fault," he mutters. "For all that they marched around claiming to be honorable sons, Wu and Garmadon were horrible influences. Stick them together for more than an hour and something was going to blow up."

Nya blinks. "Wait, like…Sensei Wu and Lloyd's dad, Garmadon? You would.. _hang out_ with them?"

"Of course," Ray says, raising his eyebrows at her. "We _were_ the standing elemental masters at the time. Believe it or not, we were friends. Not that it stopped us from arguing about every living thing…" Ray shakes his head. "But I like to think we were good friends."

Nya stares at him, digesting this. _Huh_ , she thinks. What are the odds.

"Okay," she says, narrowing her eyes at him. "I'm gonna need something, then."


	6. Chapter 6

***Cocks gun* Give me more loose ends to tie up, Hagemans, I dare you, just try me-**

 **Anyways, here's a Jay chapter, because it's about time I get to him. Again, this fic is wildly AU, but I can hope. I can hope :'''D Thanks again for all you wonderful people who leave feedback, it's keeping me going!**

 **(Also if you've ever seen that one interview with Tom Holland where he's describing how he freaked out meeting RDJ, that's Lloyd here.)**

* * *

"I change the color to…red."

"Oh come on - are you serious? Did you look at my card?"

"Just got lucky, I guess," Jay says, winking at Lloyd from behind his own cards. Scowling darkly, Lloyd grabs a card from the pile, putting him back to a count of two.

"I would've won, too," Lloyd mutters.

"I don't wanna hear it from you, you merciless little hellion," Cole shoots at him. "You've hit me with three Draw Two's in a row this game. _Three_."

"Ah, I love Uno," Jay says, watching Lloyd and Cole glower at each other. "Nothing quite like it to bring out the bloodthirsty, deep-seated rage in your friends and family."

" _Bloodthirsty_ is about right," Cole grumbles, as Lloyd puts down a card, skipping Cole's turn again.

"If you reverse it, I can hit Jay instead," Lloyd says, innocently.

"But you wouldn't do _that_ ," Jay says, making a wounded face. "Not to someone with a serious injury, you know I've had the worst headache today-"

Lloyd gives him a flat look, briefly lifting up the edge of his t-shirt. Jay winces.

"Well, it works on the others," he mutters. Darn Lloyd for getting a leg up on him in the sympathy department, as usual.

Cole rolls his eyes, but there's still that flash of concern, the same look in everyone's eyes that _still_ hasn't left — Jay is genuinely starting to get concerned that it never will. Which would be awful, because it's only been a few days of this and he's sick of it already. Having people take care of you is _way_ less fun when they're all sad and worried and - traumatized? Is that the word? At this rate, they're not gonna let Jay out of the hospital unless he's coated in six layers of bubble wrap.

Jay bounces a bit on his bed, shuffling his cards again. Man, he's so ready to be out of here. Like, it isn't that bad right _now_ , while he's got Lloyd and Cole to keep him company. And it's been a lot better since they stuck him and Lloyd together, because he can actually babble on to someone who'll listen without asking two hundred questions about his head, and he doesn't feel as much like his soul is floating away, and they can totally plot their impending epic escape from these boring hospital rooms-

But _gosh_ , Jay's going crazy. He didn't even get hit that bad, not like Lloyd did. All he did was get his skull just the _tiniest_ bit cracked, instead of like, getting skewered.

Jay shudders a bit. If there's anything to be grateful for about this stupid head injury, it's the fact that he was mercifully unconscious for the final part of the battle and completely skipped out on what's apparently been traumatic nightmare fuel.

(And yes, he's well aware that he helped cause some of that trauma himself, and he feels terrible about it, okay — Cole can stop lecturing him already and Kai can wipe that awful sad look off his face and get back to teasing him like normal, come on.)

" _There_ , I reversed it," Cole says, slapping his card down. "Now you can take your revenge on Jay and leave me alone."

Lloyd glances at his cards, chewing on his lip. "Hmmm…" With a huff, he sets a normal card down, giving Jay a stink eye. "You're lucky the color got changed."

Jay gives a shark-like grin. "Ooh, sorry Cole," he says, laying down his card. "Might've wanted to think twice about that."

Cole stares blankly at the Draw Four Wild card. Throwing his hands up, he dumps his cards on the bed, groaning. "Can we please play Go Fish instead. Literally _anything_ else."

Lloyd giggles, but he has pity on Cole, gathering the Uno cards up as Cole shoves his head in one of Jay's pillows. Jay leans back on the bed, still grinning at Cole's misfortune as he stretches.

His head half dangling over the edge of the bed, Jay glances at the TV that's mounted on the wall, the volume turned down low as it plays. It's just finishing up one of those peppy Christmas commercials, the one that's got the jingle he likes to sing along with to annoy Kai.

 _"Get your girl the present of her dreams!"_ the subtitles are saying. Jay almost snorts. Yeah, he's _totally_ gonna get Nya a set of frying pans for Christmas. Then the company can refund him when he gets brained by a cast-iron skillet.

His humor fades as the news comes back on. They're replaying the battle again — not the ugly, scary parts Jay's still scared to watch, just the highlighted scenes where they actually look like they're doing alright. Jay watches a tiny version of himself blast a couple dozen dark shapes with a brilliant burst of forked lightning, feeling a bit surreal as he watches the figure channel that much electricity from the skies. They've been using that one a lot, and he still hasn't gotten used to seeing himself in it.

Game shows were one thing. Watching yourself fighting for your life, knowing how terrified you were in that moment, how scared you were that you were gonna lose everyone…

Jay swallows. At least _he_ was the one that got his skull cracked. He's been feeling pretty terrible about it, getting knocked out like that and rendered completely _useless_ , but it was worth it, being the one to take the fall this time.

In a selfish way, maybe, but it was worth the trade-off of the alternative.

His parents are over the moon about the clip, at least. His mom's gotta have shown the entire hospital staff the recording of it she's got on her phone by now, and he knows his dad still watches it after he talks to the doctors. Ah well, what can you do. At least Jay's parents are, well, in comparison….

 _Well_. Jay should be thankful. That's what he's learned, if anything, over the course of his life as a ninja.

(A traitorous part of him reminds him again that they aren't even really his parents, but Jay pushes it aside. The things he learned under Nadakhan's work are better left forgotten, where they can't hurt him and everyone else he loves.)

"-out of it, Zaptrap, your face is turning red."

Jay blinks, coming back to himself as he pulls his head up, wincing as it throbs. He's immediately met with two very concerned looks on Lloyd and Cole's faces.

"Oh, come on," Jay groans, rubbing his forehead. "Stop looking like you're at my funeral, I'm fine, f-i-n-e _fine_."

"Excuse us for making sure your brains aren't leaking out," Cole mutters.

"Does Jay even have any brains left to leak out?" Lloyd says, cheekily, and Jay throws a pillow at him. They all watch as it sails a good foot past Lloyd's head, before thumping quietly on the floor.

Lloyd bursts into snickers, and Cole doesn't look far behind. Jay just buries his face in his hands, muttering about his traitors of a family. If Nya were here, _she'd_ have some sympathy for him-

"Hi, Jay?"

Jay looks up, and smiles as he recognizes one of his nurses, Ava - the really nice one that makes sure Lloyd and him get the good food. There's an odd expression on her face, and she looks a little like she's dazed, or something.

"You have a visitor," she says. "He, uh - he says he thinks he's…your father, or something?"

Jay frowns. "My dad's already been here like, a hundred times, Ava, you don't have to ask-"

Jay's sentence dies in his throat as it suddenly goes bone-dry. Ed Walker would never say that he _thinks_ he's Jay's dad. Jay's insecure about a lot of things, but not that.

There's another option, though, isn't there? One that he's never really let himself think about, but. Jay's just never — he's never thought it was _possible._ Isn't he — wasn't he dead-

"You ca-" Jay swallows. "You can let him in." Remembering last-second, he glances at Lloyd to make sure he's alright with it. This _is_ his room too, after all. Lloyd gives an amiable shrug, his brow furrowed. He leans over closer to Jay, murmuring.

"Are you okay?"

Jay shakes his head. "I'm fine!" he says, trying not to sound like his insides have morphed into hundreds of squirming snakes — ooh, that's a gross image, he shouldn't have used that one-

"…Jay?"

 _Oh_. Oh gosh, it _is_ him. Speak of the devil. It's him, that's definitely-y him, oh wow, oh yikes.

"Oh my god, _it'sCliffGordon_ ," Lloyd whispers, his eyes the size of dinner plates. Cole blinks wildly.

"I, um, I-" Cliff Gordon clears his throat, looking a little scared, a lot older, and just the tiniest bit hopeful. "I'm sorry to intrude, but I was hoping to speak with Ja…Mr. Walker?"

Jay doesn't have a mouth anymore. Or a stomach, at that. Or a brain, really, though that's been in question lately anyways-

"Of course," Cole says, saving them all as he stands, gently tugging Lloyd to his feet. He gives Jay a look, one that's almost questioning, but reassuring at the least. "We'll be right outside," he says, pointedly. "If you need us."

It's a testament to just how _much_ Lloyd's truly gotta love Jay that he lets Cole drag him out, carefully exiting the room while not-so-subtly staring at Cliff Gordon. He gives Jay one last wide-eyed, pointed look, before the door swings closed, and it's just Jay and Cliff in the room.

Cliff takes an uneasy breath. "Hello," he says. "I'm not sure if you know who-"

"I know who you are," Jay stutters, as his mouth returns. "I - I, uh, I've watched the show. With my brother - well, my friend, but he's pretty much my brother, y'know, 'cause sometimes family is…family is family."

Jay wants to kick himself in the face. Geez, why can't he be as cool as Kai, or as unflappable as Cole, or as serene as Zane, or as emotional -

Okay, he probably _doesn't_ want to be like Lloyd when it comes to parents, but his point stands! Jay is an idiot.

"Right," Cliff says, shifting awkwardly. He looks down, then up to the television playing. "I saw - on the television. You…you're the elemental master of lightning, aren't you?"

Jay nods, slowly.

Something sparks in Cliff's eyes, before he stifles it, looking painfully, _so_ painfully hopeful, Jay should really say something, if his mouth hadn't clocked out on him again.

"My…my wife, she…" Cliff's eyes scrunch up, some old sorrow welling up in them. He takes a shaky, unsteady breath. "She was one of…them, as well. And her element - her element was-"

"Lightning, right?" Jay finally says, managing to find his mouth just in time for it to run away from him. "So that would, that would um, make her my mom, I guess - haha! That's kinda ironic, you know, because you wouldn't happen to have had, say, like, a son or anything, with her, that you lost track of somewhere along the line-"

 _Shut up Jay, oh FSM, shut up already, why are you like this-_

Cliff's hands drop to his sides, and his eyes go wide. "You know," he whispers.

Jay nods, even slower this time. His pulse is racing a hundred miles a minute. At least the last time he didn't have to face his dad, even if it was awful, because he was _dead_ , but now Cliff gets to meet him and see how much of a _disappointment_ he is-

Tears well up in Cliff's eyes, and his expression crumples in a heartbroken sort of joy. "Jay," he breathes, saying the same as if it's something _special_. "I'm so sorry."

He inhales shakily. "I never meant - to _lose_ you, but I haven't lived the best life, and your mother, she - I-"

He shakes his head, eyes flooding over, and Jay, like a supreme idiot, still says nothing.

"I want…I want to get to know you," Cliff says, as if grasping for composure. "You can say no, if you want — if you hate me, which you have every right to-"

"I don't hate you!" Jay interrupts. "No, no, I - that would be - that would be good," he says, a little timidly. "To get to know you. Be nice."

A startled smile breaks out on Cliff's face, as if he was expecting Jay to say no. "Thank you," he says. "Thank you…Jay."

Then they both fall into silence for a beat, staring at each other. Jay swallows.

"I'm, uh, I'm kind of a touchy-feely person," he says, before he can stop himself. "So, if you, y'know, wanted to make it a little less awkward, and, uh-"

Cliff embraces Jay before he can say another word, and Jay is equally surprised and embarrassed to find tears welling up in his own eyes.

"I'm so happy I found you," Cliff whispers. "I could never have asked - a ninja, I know I have no right but I'm so proud-"

Oh! Now Jay is gonna start actually crying, great. People like this, running around and telling him ridiculous stuff like they're _proud_ of him-

Jay sniffs thickly, feeling a lot younger than he has in a while.

 _Huh_.

Maybe, he thinks, what he'd learned during that whole lost time wasn't so bad. Maybe Nadakhan was just cruel enough to turn _everything_ horrible, and his memories of that time…the things he'd learned that he's been trying to forget…

Maybe Jay should let himself remember. Maybe he can fix things because of i-

Jay's eyes fly open, and he shoots up, upsetting his father with a yelp.

"Sorry, sor- I've gotta - I've gotta talk to Zane."


	7. Chapter 7

**Annnd the Kai and Lloyd chapter is the longest one so far. Of course.**

 **A few days late with this one, I've been crazy busy unfortunately - lots of people like to have weddings in December, I guess? But I really do want to try to have this finished up by Christmas, or at least the end of December, so hopefully I can keep updates fairly regular! (And to all of you really, really kind people who have told me not to stress about updating fast, which I really appreciate! I wrote about half of this in November for nanowrimo, so it's mostly just editing and filling in missing chapters now :D)**

 **I'm also just really hoping to get them out of the hospital soon, so I can start on the Garmadon angst, heheh...**

 **As always, thank you so much to all the kind people who review! I'm behind on replies, but I promise I'm getting to them soon!**

* * *

"No, mom, I don't — I literally ran away from school with like, a sweatshirt, a bunch of dumb papers were kind of the _last_ thing I'd think of."

Kai watches in amusement as Lloyd makes an overdramatic an expression as he's seen him, shifting his grip on the phone as he continues to talk into it.

"Okay, okay, sorry — yeah, I know a birth certificate isn't a dumb paper, but I'm trying to say that it's — a what? I don't even know what that _is_ , can we just - can we just stick with the birth certificate for now?"

Kai lounges back on Jay's empty bed, briefly checking his own phone before looking back across at Lloyd as he talks with his mother. He's already been shushed more than once for making smart comments, so he's trying to entertain himself by counting how many times Lloyd's jaw ticks each minute, debating whether it's getting faster or not.

"-yeah, I had _plenty_ of time to hop downtown and get my birth certificate rewritten while the Overlord was trying to kill me, that was definitely my priority."

Kai cringes as Lloyd does — he can't quite hear what Misako is saying over the phone, but he can hear the tone she's using.

"Sorry, sorry, that was — I'm sorry," Lloyd amends, looking chastised. "I just- I don't know, can't they just take your word for it?"

Lloyd goes silent, his eyebrows furrowing as he listens. He gives a sharp breath of frustration. "But I don't — mom, I don't have that kind of ID, I didn't get aged up _that_ much…I think….What? No, I never got a fake ID, for real? I mean, I could make one, if you wanted-" Lloyd winces, quickly clarifying. "That was a joke, mom!"

Kai snickers, though he makes a mental note to keep an eye on _that_ particular skill. Not that he thinks Lloyd's about to create a fake ID for the usual rebellious teen stuff, but Kai can _definitely_ see him using it to like, invest in a credit card so he can buy half the animal shelter, or the entire candy shop, or get a new car, or something.

…come to think of it, does Lloyd even have his _license?_

"-I'm the Green Ninja, mom, I don't need a license-"

Kai gives Lloyd an incredulous, pointed look. Lloyd rolls his eyes, waving him off. Kai narrows his own eyes, trying to convey _we're-not-dropping-this_ looks. Lloyd makes a face, before turning his attention back to his mother, and Kai tries not to groan. Add that to the growing list of things he needed to take care of a while ago, then.

"-and I don't — what? No! I did not _burn my birth certificate_ , I wasn't that bad a kid!"

Kai raises his eyebrows at him, and Lloyd glares back. " _You_ keep your mouth shut," he says, briefly leaning away from the phone. Kai just smirks, mouthing _training pranks_ at him, and Lloyd makes a cutthroat motion before returning to his call.

"Uh, sorry - Kai's in the room with me, that was for him." Lloyd pauses, his expression dropping as he listens. Kai straightens, narrowing his eyes.

"I'm fine, mom," Lloyd sighs. "I just — yeah, yeah, I know, I'm going to, I — what do you mean, another week? No, the doctor said the end of this one — I'm not _lying_ , I swear — okay, okay, fine. …yes, I'm going to see him. Just a little busy right now. Okay. I love you too, bye."

Lloyd punches the _end call_ button, scowling at his phone before tossing it down the bed. His expression tightens in frustration, and he throws himself back, flopping onto the pillows as dramatically as possible. Kai winces in sympathy as he immediately clutches his side, wheezing.

" _How_ do you keep forgetting you need to watch that," Kai mutters, frantically trying to get at Lloyd's shirt. If he's torn the stitches, Kai's going to have another mental break-

"Just dumb, I guess," Lloyd breathes, shoving Kai's hands away. "I'm fine, I'm fine! It's cold in here, _stop_."

Kai narrows his eyes at him. "You know that the sooner you sit still and let them heal, the sooner you can get out."

Lloyd makes a face at him, but he slumps back against the pillows again — more gently, this time. "Ugh, I know," he mutters, downcast. "This is taking forever though. I dunno why Uncle Wu won't just hit me with more magic tea again."

" _Tea_ isn't gonna fix _that_ ," Kai says.

"Yeah, I guess," Lloyd sighs, looking sadly at the bandages that are poking out beneath the hem of his sweatshirt.

Kai glances over to where Lloyd's phone is laying on the couch. "Is, uh, is everything okay with your mom?" he asks, hesitantly.

Lloyd glares at the wall. "Yeah, she's — she's just worried, I guess," he mutters. "Wants me to stay in longer, just in case. Which I'm _not_ , obviously, the second I get the all-clear, I'm out of here."

"Ah." Kai notices Lloyd carefully avoiding any mention of "going to see him", but he lets it go.

It's not like Kai's _eagerly_ looking forward to talking about Garmadon, anyways.

"Also, did you know that like, the hospital needs all your medical records _and_ your identification stuff?" Lloyd says, looking perturbed. "Tamara - she's the head nurse, you know? She's been breathing down our necks about it all day. Something about, like, insurance and stuff?"

"I mean, it's not like any of us have been _great_ about medical records," Kai scoffs. "Cole's got one pretty obvious blank spot. And I don't even wanna _think_ about Zane."

"Well, yeah," Lloyd says. "But none of you have to explain why your birthdate on record is 'highly suspicious because of it's glaring inaccuracy'." He scowls. "What am I supposed to say? Yeah, sorry about that, you can take it up with the tea leaves?"

Kai stifles a laugh. "Just tell them you had a really dramatic growth spurt."

Lloyd gives him a flat look. "Yeah, that'll solve everything. Then I can _really_ forget getting my license, because I won't even be legal yet...probably."

"Hey, it'll work out, okay?" Kai says, kicking Lloyd's leg lightly where it hangs off the bed. "Nya can always blackmail Ronin into drawing you a fake one up, if we need to. Stop looking so broody and moody."

Lloyd rolls his eyes again, but the expression is a little softer. "I know, I — I just wanna get _out_ of here already," he mutters. His eyebrows draw into a glare. "It's not fair that Cole let Jay bounce early, can you _believe_ -"

"He's not letting him bounce, Jay's gonna be right back in the second he finishes…whatever he's doing," Kai says, trying to pacify Lloyd before he gets on _this_ train again. Cole really owes him for defending him this much, Kai thinks, sourly. Especially when he doesn't even agree with it himself. Realizing Lloyd doesn't look any happier, Kai aims for a weak spot instead. "Don't be a five year-old about it."

"I'm not a _five year-old_ ," Lloyd whines into his pillow, stuffing it over his face as if to smother himself. "I'm a grown adult."

"Yeah, _sure_ , a grown adult who doesn't even have a driver's license," Kai snorts. He shakes his head, finally standing up from the bed and making his way over to Lloyd's.

"Hey, look," Kai says, lifting the pillow up so Lloyd can glare at him in all his rat's nest-hair glory. "We'll just hang out until he gets back. I'll stay the night again and we can watch another season of _Starfarer_ , 'kay?"

Lloyd squints at him. "But you don't even like _Starfarer_."

"Yeah," Kai says, as he lightly shoves Lloyd over on the bed so there's room for him to clamber on. "But I like you, so I can suffer through it."

"Wow, you're just a hero," Lloyd says, but he's smiling now, brighter than Kai's seen in a while.

He's missed that dumb smile.

"Well, y'know, I guess even I can be useful every once in a while," Kai says wryly, tapping at the remote to turn the TV on. "What season were we on, again?"

Lloyd doesn't respond to that — he's looking at him with a weird expression on his face, instead. Kai blinks. "What?"

Lloyd frowns. "What do you mean, 'useful every once in a while'?" he says. "You're very useful. All the time."

Kai looks away, rubbing the back of his neck. Yeah, he was _real_ useful when Nya got cornered by that one Oni, or when Jay got knocked through a wall, or when Lloyd decided to-

"Stop looking like that!" Lloyd is in his face now, sounding stubborn and slightly pained. "I know what you're thinking, and it's not _true_."

It's Kai's turn to make a face, giving him a flat look. "Yeah, yeah, okay."

Lloyd's expression scrunches up. "I'm serious, don't - don't put yourself down like that," he says, a bit quietly. "You're…whenever I go to make plans in my head, they don't work without you. I don't _wanna_ work without you. So just…stop. Thinking, like that."

Kai looks at him — really looks at him, and feels something in his heart twist.

"Okay," he says, his own voice quiet. "You got it. No more self-deprecating tonight."

"No more self-deprecating _ever_ ," Lloyd says, but he looks slightly pacified. "Now look, I'm not gonna be able to tease you about looking like the villain this season."

"I bet he's not even half as attractive, anyways," Kai says, and Lloyd snorts, elbowing him as the _Starfarer_ titles pull up on the TV. Settling back in the bed, Kai goes quiet, and starts mentally gambling how long it's gonna take him to get Lloyd to fall asleep.

Naturally, Kai falls asleep first.

* * *

Kai wakes up to Lloyd's hair in his face and the worst ache in his neck _ever_. He groans, sitting up slightly, careful not to wake Lloyd. _Darn_ , he thinks, glancing up at the TV screen, which is probably going through its hundredth re-run of the _Starfarer_ DVD opening logos. He really didn't mean to fall asleep in some horrible, awkward position again.

Well, at least Lloyd's finally sleeping, Kai muses, looking down in amusement to where he's sprawled half on top of him, snoring softly. Kai frowns, glancing at the numbers on the clock across from them. Come to think of it, why is _he_ awake? Normally it takes something bigger to wake him up than-

"I said _hello_ , Mr. Ninja."

Kai jumps half a foot out of bed, stifling a shriek as he whirls. A tiny, dark-haired girl in hospital garb is standing by the side of the bed, her arms crossed as she stares at him. Kai looks from the open door to her, then back to the door again. How did she — she's not supposed to be in here, right?

"I walked from the kid's common room," the girl sniffs, and Kai belatedly realizes that he's said that out loud. "It's at the end of the hall. I heard _he_ was here, and I wanted to see all the ninja," she says, eyeing Lloyd where he sleeps with curious eyes.

Kai carefully sits up, pulling Lloyd's arm off of him as he rubs his eyes, trying to wake himself up enough to deal with this. On the one hand, some escaped sick kid is a lot better to get jumped by than say, a vicious enemy, or _somebody_ a few rooms down, but on the other hand-

Kai really doesn't know how to deal with room-crashing little hospital escapees who come up to his knee. Where'd his experience from Nya and Lloyd go? Come back, he needs it.

"Uh, well, he's kinda asleep right now, sorry," Kai says, awkwardly. "Maybe you can come back-"

"Oh, that's alright," the girl says, walking over to him and — just hopping up on the bed before he can say anything, looking perfectly at home. "I can talk with you! I'm Suyin, by the way."

"Uh, hi," Kai says, weakly. "I'm Kai."

"Duh," Suyin says, squinting at him. "I know that! You're the easy one to spot. 'Cause of your hair, you know?"

"Oh?" Kai's not sure if he should be insulted or not.

"Yeah," Suyin looks eager. "I wanted to ask you if you could do mine. It's _super_ boring here-"

Kai almost snorts. Oh, she and Lloyd are gonna get along so we- wait, _what_ did she ask him?

"If you can do my hair like yours!" Suyin says, cheerfully. "I wanna look cool, like you, so all the other kids get jealous. You can cut it with your sword and stuff, right?"

"Woah, woah, I don't-" Kai blinks rapidly, trying to get the image of him hacking this tiny little girl's hair off with his very sharp katana out of his head. "I, uh - I don't know - about that. It might not be the _best_ idea, you know?"

"Oh," Suyin looks down, deflating.

Kai bounces his leg awkwardly, looking around. The girl is still staring at the ground with those big eyes, tugging slightly on her hospital bracelet. Kai feel something in his heart twist. It wasn't that long ago Nya was this small. And he…he did okay with her, right?

"So I probably can't do _that_ ," Kai says, sucking in a breath and shelving his dignity for the day. "But there is something I _can_ do."

Suyin looks up at him in delight.

* * *

As is Kai's luck, Lloyd happens to wake up just as he's finishing off the second fishtail braid in Suyin's hair.

"I didn't know _this_ was part of the great fire ninja's skill set," Lloyd says, and Kai can _hear_ the grin in his voice. "How come you didn't teach me this when you were training me?"

Kai flushes, but he schools his expression, not letting go of the strands of hair in his hands. "Har har," he says. "I'll have you know that braiding hair is an extremely difficult art, one only the greatest of hair masters can achieve."

"Well then, excuse _me_ ," Lloyd says, coming into Kai's vision as he sits next to Suyin. "Hi, I'm Lloyd," he says, with all his natural, cheery Lloyd-ness. "Who are you?"

"I'm Suyin, and I know who you are," she says, shaking his hand a little too enthusiastically, and Kai almost loses his grip. "Your hair looks different than it does in the pictures. It looks kinda crazy now."

Lloyd blinks, and Kai stifles a snort. He finishes off the braid, snapping the hot pink elastic band Suyin's given him around it.

"There you go," Kai says, handing Suyin his phone. "If you hold it like this, you can see what it looks like."

Suyin bounces in front of the mirror, adjusting the phone camera, and her face lights up. "It's so pretty!" she says, her eyes bright and happy as she trails a hand down one long braid. "How'd you do that?"

Kai leans back, pleased with himself. "Ninja," he says winking at her. Lloyd and Suyin both giggle at that.

Suyin pauses, hopping back over to Lloyd and squinting up at him. He goes still, letting her tug at a lock of his wavy blond hair. Suyin looks at Kai. "Now him," she says, firmly. "He needs braids too."

"Oh no," Lloyd sputters, raising his hands as Kai approaches him, grinning like a shark. "No, no no, my hair's too short-"

"Uh-huh," Kai says. "Y'know, I seem to remember _someone_ running from the scissors because they wanted to keep growing it out."

"No, wait-" Lloyd glances between Kai and Suyin, and finally deflates, realizing it's a lost battle. "Alright," he mutters, glaring at the wall. "Have at it."

Kai grins at Suyin, taking the little purple elastic from her, and attacks.

The end result is comically disastrous, as Lloyd's hair is only long enough to allow tiny little braids, but thanks to Suyin's meddling he ends up with several small braids that hang over his ears, or trail down his neck. Lloyd is, for the first time since he's been in the hospital, a good sport about it, though, so by the time Tamara comes to collect her latest escapee, he simply grins cheekily as she glares at him.

"Make sure he stays," Tamara tells Kai, giving Lloyd one last side-eye before she leaves with Suyin in hand, who waves despondently at them.

"Come visit me and the other kids!" she calls. The minute they're gone, Lloyd shoots Kai a narrow-eyed look.

"You owe me for this."

"Uh-huh," Kai grins, already thumbing at his phone. "Here, smile for the camera, Nya's gonna love this-"

"No!" Lloyd yelps, whacking Kai solidly across the face with a pillow as he cackles. He finally surrenders the phone, letting Lloyd flip through the pictures with a stubborn pout on his face. Kai leans back against the pillows, trying to figure out how he's already tired _again_. Didn't he just get a half-night's sleep? That oughtta make up for all the nights he's missed, right?

"Kai?"

He glances over, Lloyd's inquiry so quiet he almost misses it. "Yeah?"

"Thanks for staying with me," Lloyd says, no longer looking at the phone.

Kai smiles, folding his arms behind his head as he yawns. "Never have'ta thank me for that, green machine."

"And thanks for…for everything else." Kai cracks one eye open, studying Lloyd as he tugs at the edge of his hoodie, looking down.

"I, uh, I know I'm not…easy. And I'm…I'm sorry," Lloyd murmurs. "For…for everything. I didn't mean for…I don't wanna stress you out anymore. And I hate that I'm the reason you're so-"

"Lloyd," Kai says, sitting up so he grab his shoulders and force Lloyd to look at him properly. "You - geez. Do we have to do this every time?"

Lloyd shrugs, his eyes flicking away as he bites his lip. "This time was really bad, though," he says, quietly.

Kai shakes his head. "That just means I'm gonna care _more_. Whatever - stress, or some nonsense you've thought up this time - I go through, it's worth it. Worth _you_ , and I _know_ what you told Nya the other day, so just-"

Lloyd cuts him off by ramming into his chest, wrapping his arms tightly around him, but Kai decides that's good enough for him. He rubs a hand across his shoulders, smirking slightly at the tiny braid that just reaches the collar of Lloyd's shirt.

"Thanks," Lloyd whispers, muffled.

"Just promise me something," Kai says.

Lloyd looks up at him. "Yeah?"

"You _never_ do anything like this again."

"Geez, you're acting like I stabbed myself-"

" _Lloyd_."

"…promise."

And Kai knows it's not the kind of promise that's made to last, because he _knows_ their family, and he _knows_ Lloyd, but...who knows. A Christmas miracle, maybe?

He's just gonna hope for it, this time.


	8. Chapter 8

**Stepping way out of my comfort zone again, but here's Zane! (Candy if you're reading this, this is for you XD)**

 **Also, I have no idea what the situation with the lighthouse and Echo is in the show right now - they haven't really given us any concrete details? And I don't know if the team has any idea about season 6 either (season 8 kinda hinted that they didn't know), but I refuse to believe that Jay and Nya didn't at least give them _some_ sort of explanation. So I've kinda just...assumed some things, here. But this story is pretty much wildly AU already, so it works, I guess!**

* * *

Zane's never been one to worry himself about the weather, except in the case of his teammates, but for once, he does find himself slightly more irritated than he'd usually be at the howling, frigid winds.

They're making it considerably difficult to navigate across the ocean, he muses, adjusting the wheel as they hit another sweeping current. Zane supposes it is a very good thing that Jay's newfound father lent them his ship, as any other boat they could have procured likely would have been capsized by now.

Which would have been a rather terrible thing, as Zane is trying his best to keep Jay as far away from any potential danger as possible. (He's always trying to keep his team - his _family_ , safe from danger, and Jay is no exception; that concern is simply heightened now, with the state Jay is in. And Cole is trusting Zane with his safety, so he certainly cannot fail in that.)

It would be easier if Jay could manage to be slightly more compliant of course, he thinks, as he watches Jay lean just a bit too far over the side to be truly safe, but Zane will take what he can get.

Zane isn't the…wisest of risk-takers himself, as he's been told, he remembers wryly. He certainly understands Jay. The days they've spent in the hospital have been long ones, and Jay has never been suited to staying still. If Zane had been confined as long as Jay had to the white walls of the hospital, he'd very likely be leaning over the edge of the ship to stare at the waves in excitement as well.

He spares a thought of regretful sympathy for Lloyd. Zane's little brother is no more suited to staying in bed than Jay is, and he knows he'll be on the receiving end of several nasty looks when he returns for leaving him behind. Perhaps he'll stop and pick up some candy on the way back, Lloyd's favorite, in an attempt to cheer him up-

"How close are we now, Zane?"

Zane almost rolls his eyes. Jay has asked that question eight times in the last half hour, and Zane knows _full_ well that Jay is perfectly capable of finding that out himself, if he'd simply step back behind the controls with him.

But Jay is giving him one of those almost-pathetic looks, his bandaged head firmly covered by the eye-catching and… _slightly_ blinding hat Nya shoved on him, and Zane doesn't have the heart to lecture him.

"We are still about ten minutes out," he says, glancing at the radar. "The ship is making good time, though. We should be able to bypass the worst of the storms."

"Oh good," Jay says, shivering slightly. "I don't wanna be out here if it decides to start snowing."

Zane glances up at the overcast sky, quickly gauging the temperatures around him. He knows that despite his family's complaints about the cold, they all truly wish to see snow. He feels a flash of disappointment as he realizes that the temperatures are still too high to allow any potential snows to stick.

 _Hm_ …Zane wonders if it is an abuse of his powers to help with that…

"I mean, it would be cool and stuff, but not out on the ocean!" Jay is still babbling on, leaning against the railing again as they knife through the water. "Like, the lighthouse might look pretty, but, what if the ocean froze over? Then we'd be trapped like those guys in that documentary Nya made us watch one time, and we'd have to like, build a sledge and hike across the ice, with only our wits and bold courage to keep us alive-!"

"While I doubt the ocean will be freezing over anytime soon," Zane says, with a hint of a grin. "I would not allow us to hike across it. Don't forget, ice is hardly an obstacle for me."

"Yeah, yeah, okay, showoff," Jay grins back at him. He looks away, his expression dropping a bit. "Um, thanks, though. Not just for being willing to cut us through an ice ocean. For coming out at all with me."

"Of course," Zane says. "It is no trouble for me, to help a brother. And I do have the best odds of keeping you safe."

Jay smiles, a little weakly. "Yeah, you're the best," he says. "Still, though," he sighs. "It's nice to have company, facing - facing this."

Zane tilts his head, studying Jay. He knows why Jay sought to bring him specifically. He's not…entirely sure how he feels about that yet, so he's trying not to think about it too hard. Simply to avoid the distraction, of course.

He _is_ sure that this is the most Jay has ventured to speak of the time with the Djinn in a very long time, though.

"Back when…it had just happened," Zane begins, trying not to sound confrontational. Jay isn't fond of that, he remembers. "You were…hesitant, in what you and Nya told us. I do not think you even mentioned visiting the lighthouse, much less many details about your adoption. So why…why now?"

Jay winces, his hand coming up to rub behind his head as he looks away.

"I….it's…" he sighs. "Okay, first off, it's weird. This is gonna sound like an excuse, but it's - okay, it _kinda_ is, but it's true. It's like…I remember it happened, right? I know that there's a huge chunk of time and stuff that my wish erased, and I remember the…the big stuff," Jay swallows. "But sometimes it gets…it gets blurry, y'know? Like I'll forget details, or chunks of time, or who was where when that happened, or just — stuff gets all mixed up in my head."

Zane says nothing, simply nodding. It would make sense that the Djinn's wish would be tricky, though it could also be a result of the ensuing trauma he is sure Jay has glossed over himself. Either way, he holds no grudge against his brother for holding details back. Zane himself has not always been entirely forthcoming, and he understands the need to keep things to yourself for a while, at times.

"Or like, sometimes I'll wonder why you weren't there for something," Jay continues. "And then I'll remember like, a week later that we lost you after Nadakhan erased Pixal-"

Zane stiffens. Suddenly, he's lost his desire to hear more about the details.

"See, that's - that's it!" Jay exclaims, and Zane realizes he must have said that out loud. "I could probably remember it, if I wanted to," Jay says. "But I _don't_ , because it - it sucked, everyone kept disappearing and I kept messing up and Nya-"

Jay sucks in a tight breath, looking away.

"It was not entirely your fault, Jay," Zane says, softly. "If our family has learned anything, it is that blaming yourself for everything helps no one."

"Well, yeah, but-" Jay cuts off, sighing. "Yeah. Okay. Anyways, I just — I didn't want to remember, so I forced myself not to think about it."

He looks down.

"But after Cliff came in - after my father…I realized that it wasn't all bad," Jay says, quietly. "And there were parts of it that I really needed to go ahead and remember, because I was just - I was being selfish, and other people were paying the price."

"So….you remembered this," Zane says, checking the distance to the lighthouse on the radar again.

"Yup!" Jay says, brightening. "Wrote it down and everything, so I wouldn't be able to forget."

He pulls the sleeve of his jacket back, grinning wryly as he shows Zane his hand. Zane squints at the marker ink scrawling across Jay's hand and arm, reading _"don't forget Echo!"_ over and over again.

"That is…excessive." Zane takes a breath, amusement washed away in the pull of his chest. "Echo," he says, voice slightly tight. "That is the name of…the name of…"

"Your brother," Jay says, firmly.

Zane looks away, his hands tightening slightly around the wheel.

He had been….surprised, at least, to hear what Jay had to tell him about his father. About his father's other creation. Like he said, he isn't sure how he feels about it.

It appears as if Jay doesn't intend to give him the chance to avoid it, though. Zane should have seen that one coming sooner.

"You cannot know if that was his intention," Zane says, slowly. "He…he had me. Why did he feel the need to build another?"

"I don't know for sure," Jay says, finally crossing the deck and coming up by Zane. Zane doesn't meet his eyes. "But, y'know, why did Borg make so many versions of Pixal?"

"That is not the same."

"Then why was he so happy you two hit it off?" Jay says persistently. "He didn't want Pixal to be alone, remember? So he let her go with us. Your father…maybe he didn't want you to be alone, either. Maybe _he_ didn't want to be alone at the time, and you were who he wanted to see, I dunno. Maybe he just wanted to give you more of a family, who was more like you."

Jay shrugs, looking out over the ocean. "I don't know, Zane, but I do know that your dad loved you. Really, really loved you, and you can't say that I wouldn't know, because I was there, remember?" Jay grins. "And I'm the expert on emotional stuff like that. By far the most emotionally stable out of all of us, so you can trust me."

Zane looks down where his hands clench tightly against the wheel, and watches as they loosen slightly. He finally returns Jay's persistent stare, giving him what feels a weak smile.

"Thank you," he says. "I…appreciate your efforts to understand him. And it is good to know that regardless of what my father intended…I already have a family, who I know without a doubt cares."

"Aw, Zane." Jay throws and arm around his shoulders. "And we'll always have your back, bro. But now you've got the chance to bring someone else into it." Jay smiles encouragingly at him, then nods his head toward the lighthouse, that has somehow come into view while Zane wasn't looking.

"So let's do this, huh?"

Zane nods, a tad unsteadily, and docks the ship. He swallows, fighting back the sting of memories as he helps Jay hop onto the island, looking around with wide eyes.

"It's been a while, huh?"

Zane shakes his head. "Too long, perhaps."

Jay nods, and he takes the lead, hopping up the steps to the lighthouse two at a time. Zane follows him at a steady pace, a contrast to the pulse of his heart.

They reach the door far too soon, and Jay steps aside, looking at Zane. "I can…I can do this, if you want," he offers. "I met him last time, so it should be-"

"That is alright," Zane says, straightening. He flashes Jay the smallest of smiles. "I have this."

Stepping up the solid door, Zane gives two quick raps, and steps back. After a few minutes, he can hear cautious footsteps from inside, the rattle of rusted gears — that quickly come to a stop, likely hesitating.

Zane takes a breath. "Hello," he says, his voice firm. "I'm not sure if you know who I am, but I'd like to meet you. I'm…your brother, I believe."

Jay gives him a blinding smile.


	9. Chapter 9

**(Happy New Years! Here's to the almost one-year anniversary of the day I watched that one Lego movie and got completely dragged into Ninjago by a green bean.)**

 **So the original idea was to have this wrapped up by Christmas - unfortunately, I did not plan for 1) getting struck down by sickness, 2) actually thinking out the fact that I was going out of town for a week, and 3) how lazy I was actually going to be around Christmas. Oops T-T So! The plan is to finish this, I'm just not sure if I'll keep going into January or just put it in hold until Christmas next year...**

 **Either way, here's a Cole chapter with copious references to my favorite Christmas-themed ballet music.**

 **As always thank you so much to everyone who reviews, it means the world!**

* * *

While hanging out in the kids' common room of the hospital definitely isn't the _worst_ idea Cole's heard in the last few days — that honor goes to like, eighty percent of the plans he heard coming out of Lloyd and Zane's mouth recently, and it's a nice change of pace from that little hospital room — Cole does find himself wishing they'd play something other than the Nutcracker soundtrack for once. He's getting uncanny flashbacks to all the time he spent shoved into ballet classes, trying to kick the mirror to the beat of the _Waltz of the Flowers._

(Flowers don't even waltz anyways, what a stupid song - it's not Cole's fault he couldn't live up to that cursed Christmas classic like his dad had hoped.)

Normally Cole would have Zane to complain to, and Zane would tell him something about how facing past struggles can bring a better clarity and peace of mind, blah blah blah, sort out your dad issues and stop pouting about it.

…so maybe that's not _exactly_ how Zane would put it, but Cole can see him being a little more snappy than usual. He didn't seem too happy after Cole had lectured him about taking unnecessary risks again, probably having thought he'd get off the hook since Lloyd and Jay were the ones to actually succeed at taking those risks this time.

Or maybe Zane's just annoyed that Lloyd almost died this time instead of him, Cole muses. Lloyd's gonna pull ahead of him in the near-death count sometime soon...unless he's already ahead? Cole's kinda lost count. He missed a lot in the First Realm, and he hasn't been able to get the uglier details out of Nya yet, so-

Cole shakes that morose train of thought away. It's certainly nothing to make light of, and using humor to cope like that is Jay's method, anyways.

…but maybe Cole will borrow it, for a bit.

Cole sighs, kneading his hands against his eyes as he leans over on the couch cushions, half-considering sneaking back into Lloyd and Jay's hospital room and taking a nap. Or, for right now, just Lloyd's room.

Cole's hands tighten. He doesn't _like_ this — and not just because Lloyd hasn't stopped giving him horribly betrayed, wounded looks since he let Jay go. Jay's not supposed to leave the hospital. Cole's been worried about him enough in the past few days, and the idea of sending him back out into the world when he hasn't even been entirely cleared by the doctors is — it's -

Cole huddles over, trying to dispel the stomach-churning anxiety. The _only_ reason he's allowing this is because Zane is going with him, and Cole knows he'd never let anything happen to Jay — and Zane was insistent on going, too. Their doctor's not happy about it, but even he grudgingly admitted that if Jay was very, very careful, and only did what he said he was going to do, it should be fine.

Really, it's Jay's incredibly annoying and admittedly-endearing persistence that got him out.

 _"_ _I left someone behind, Cole,"_ he had insisted, his expression caught in anxious guilt. _"I have to go back and get them. No ninja left behind, right?"_

 _Ugh_. Isn't Cole supposed to be the tough one, or something? Where did he start falling short on that?

(…probably day one, if Cole is being honest with himself.)

He exhales wearily, looking back up and checking on the others again. Lloyd is sitting cross-legged over in one of the corners by the monitors, playing some video game with one of the many kids he's managed to befriend in the first five minutes, and looking a lot more lively than he has in the past few days. Kai is sitting behind them on one of the couches, clearly trying to keep an eye on Lloyd while failing at keeping himself from dozing off. Cole snorts as he watches Kai's head slowly tip back, his eyes fluttering closed, before he suddenly jerks it back up, blinking wildly.

Cole hopes he'll give in soon. He's a half a day away from sticking Kai in a hospital bed of his own if he doesn't start sleeping like a normal person.

Lloyd pauses the game briefly to stretch, his expression twinging in discomfort as a hand flies to his side. Cole bites his lip, his eyebrows scrunching up. He _would_ go over and make sure he's okay, but the venomous look Lloyd gives him is enough to keep him seated.

 _Geez_. It's probably Cole's own fault, for lecturing Lloyd so much about staying in the hospital just to turn around and let Jay leave, but still. He's just looking out for him.

(Also, _Jay_ wasn't the one that flatlined, so-)

Cole straightens, wincing as something in his back pops. Speaking of injuries, Cole's feeling a little battered himself. It wasn't a clean battle for any of them, Lloyd and Jay just happened to push it above and beyond. Fortunately for Cole, all he's dealing with is some nasty bruises and a few scrapes, which, in honesty, aren't anything worse than what he's dealt with before.

There's still that quiet little part of him that almost _likes_ that he can get hurt, that's relieved when he sees bruises start coloring his skin, because it means he's got a human body _to_ bruise-

"It's plee- _ay_ , dummy, and you're doing it wrong!"

Cole blinks rapidly, his attention caught like only someone who's suffered through rigorous years being yelled at by his dance teacher could be. He glances over across the open room, to where some of the kids are playing, and-

 _There_ , yup. There's a little girl who can't be older than seven, her hospital bracelet dangling from her wrist as she holds it high, her face pinched as she bends her knees again. Cole has to suppress a snort as he watches her stumble briefly before going back on her tip-toes, her lip sticking out in a pout. _That's_ a familiar expression.

Cole realizes that she's got an audience — two other kids, a boy and a girl, who are watching her with expressions of skepticism where they sit on the floor.

The music picks up — Cole recognizes it as the snowflake dance, the one that always made him dizzy — and the girl tries for a shaky pirouette, her careful focus on her pointed toes distracting her enough that she manages to trip over the boy, sending them both sprawling.

" _Hey!_ I was sitting here!"

"You got in my way, with your big fat-"

"Hey, hey, hey, break it up guys, okay?" Cole quickly steps in before the girl can launch a tiny fist at the boy's stomach. They continue to struggle, unable to work their way past Cole's hands and settling for spitting the usual array of insults kids throw at each other. (Which, ironically, sound a lot like what Cole and his brothers normally throw at each other. He's sure that doesn't say anything about them, though.)

Cole racks his brain, trying to remember how to calm kids like this down. How did they used to get through Lloyd's tantrums? Bribing them with candy is probably a bad idea...

"Um…Santa's watching you right now, remember?" Cole tries.

Both kids freeze, and the other little girl looks at them with wide eyes. " _Ooh_ , you guys are gonna get coal for Christmas now," she says. Cole spares a thought of relief that none of his family are around right now, so he's spared the inevitable joke.

" _But_ , I bet if you apologize to each other nicely, you'll be good," Cole says hastily, before the girl's lip can start trembling. They both nod, offering each other muttered, half-grudging apologies, and Cole shakes his head, again reminded uncannily of his own team.

"There you go," he says, trying to inch his way back to his corner of…moping, or whatever. "Now you can get back to your pliés."

Cole realizes his mistake a second to late. The girl's head snaps up to him, her eyes huge. "You know ballet?" she asks.

"Uh…" Cole tilts his hand side to side. "A little of this, a little of that. I know the basic positions."

The other two kids are looking interested now, and Cole suddenly debates making a break for it.

"Can you teach us?" the first girl asks, insistently. "I mean, _I_ already know like, a lot, but they could use some help. And, uh, I can't always remember all the positions," she looks down, toeing a circle on the carpeted floor.

Cole is _highly_ conscious of Lloyd watching him, and mentally thanks everything that Kai has finally fallen asleep. Lloyd's got the beginnings of a wicked grin on his face, but at least he isn't giving Cole looks that scream " _traitor!_ " anymore.

 _Oh well_ , Cole sighs to himself. It's not like he had a lot of dignity to start with, anyways.

"I don't remember a lot, but I can teach you the basic positions," he sighs, straightening. "So we've got first position, second position, so forth…how far d'you know?"

"I know fifth position!" the girl chirps, demonstrating as she wobbles a bit in her enthusiasm.

"I know how to do a jet," the boy speaks up.

Cole frowns. "A jet - you mean a jeté? Wait wait-"

"Ooh, can you teach me to stand on my toes?" the second girl goes up on her tip-toes, making a face as she tries to put her full weight on her toes.

Cole quickly lays a hand on her shoulder, forcing her back down. "Not yet, kid," he says. "You gotta work your way up to that. Standing on your toes can mess up your feet if you do it wrong. Plus, it _hurts_. S'not worth it until you get some real lessons."

"Aw okay," she pouts, but she relents, and finally stops trying to break her toes in half. "Can you teach me an arabesque then?"

Cole runs a hand over his face, then sighs again. "Yeah," he says. "Yeah, let's start with that."

* * *

By the time Lloyd finishes letting a kid beat him for the sixth time in a row and finally makes his way over to him, Cole has gathered a class of six small, very eager, very _loud_ recruits for his hospital ballet school, or whatever joke he's been roped into here.

It's…not that bad, actually. Cole's forgotten that when he cuts out the stress and pressure and expectations and stuff, dancing is pretty relaxing. He _did_ enjoy it once, didn't he? And it's kinda fun to watch the kids bounce around on their toes, trying to replicate the moves.

Its also nice to have people that actually, you know, _listen_ to him for once, and don't question literally every other order he gives while half the city catches on fire.

…yeah, he and Lloyd are gonna have to work something out with this leadership thing. Maybe they can split it, like fifty-fifty? If Lloyd wants to take it back all on himself, Cole's fine with it, but Lloyd could also use a _break_ , even if it's just Cole shouldering the responsibility every once in a while-

"Your ducklings are getting out of line, y'know."

Cole rolls his eyes, then turns to narrow them at Lloyd. Lloyd just gives him one of those sneaky little grins he has, and Cole sighs, resigning himself.

"Go ahead," he grumbles. "Make fun of me."

Lloyd giggles, but he shakes his head. "I mean, I'm _gonna_ , but I was actually just remembering when you used to teach me that stuff."

"I was thinkin' about that earlier too," Cole admits. "You and your terrible pliés, I couldn't get you to stay still for five seconds-"

"I wasn't that bad," Lloyd mutters, and Cole snorts. He hadn't been, actually — Lloyd probably could've been a solid dancer, if he hadn't been lined up for savior of Ninjago first.

Cole feels a prick of sadness, along with a longing for the days when their biggest worry was getting Lloyd to wake up on time for training. Now he's just thankful if they're all still alive in the next twenty-four hours.

"Anyways, I really didn't come over to mock you," Lloyd says, and Cole raises an eyebrow at him. Lloyd sticks his thumb over his shoulder. "Your, uh, your dad's here."

Cole blinks briefly, then whirls around so fast he almost loses his balance and knocks into the kid sitting nearby. He looks at the doorway, his eyes wide.

"Dad?"

Lou Brookstone nods at him where he's leaning against the doorframe, a soft kind of smile still on his face. Cole's cheeks heat. He spears Lloyd with a look.

"You couldn't have told me sooner?" he hisses.

Lloyd bristles. "I came over as soon as I noticed!" he hisses back. His expression falls. "I didn't think you guys were…"

Cole shakes his head, softening. "Nah, we're good," he says. "My ego's just gonna be bruised."

"You're not Kai," Lloyd says, impishly. "Suck it up."

Cole shoots him a look, but makes his way over to his dad anyways. _Punk_.

"Hey dad," he says, letting his father embrace him once he's in reach. It goes on a second longer than usual, and Cole has to blink at the unusual tightness of his father's embrace.

His father then pulls away a bit brusquely, clearing his throat suspiciously. "So," he says, glancing over at Cole's tiny school of kids. "I waste eight years of private lessons, when I could've just plopped you down in front of a bunch'a kids?"

Cole looks down, feeling his cheeks heat again. "Dad, that's not - I'm not - you-"

"I'm just messing with you, son," his dad says, clapping him on the back. His eyes soften. "Your mother used to love this one," he says, watching two of Cole's newly-adopted students try to figure out the _Sugarplum Fairy_ dance together. Cole watches him out of the corners of his eyes, almost holding his breath — it's hard enough to get his dad to talk about his mom on a good day, much less give Cole a lot of details. So this-

"Then again, I'm pretty sure it had a lot to do with the whole ballet being candy-themed…" Lou muses, and Cole has to stifle a snort. It's always good to know he got the sweet-tooth from _somewhere_.

"Anyways," his father gives a cough, running a hand over his face. "How are you holding up? They treating you alright here?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah," Cole says distractedly, half-watching Lloyd where he's letting one of the kids clamber on his back. He should probably go put a stop to that, Lloyd knows he shouldn't be over-extending himself right now-

"Good, good."

Cole jerks his attention back to his father — the tone of voice he's using is a little odd, the kind that sends off little alarm bells in Cole's head. It doesn't help that his dad isn't meeting his eyes anymore either, staring resolutely at a distant wall.

Cole's stomach dips in anxiety. Surely, he hasn't done anything to upset him already-?

"Dad, are you…okay?" Cole asks, hesitantly.

His father shakes his head, still refusing to look his way. "I - you-" Lou takes a long, unsteady breath, finally looking down at Cole's shoes.

"You were supposed to be careful," he says, gruffly. "Didn't you promise me you'd be careful."

Something in Cole's chest eases. "I was careful, dad," he says, quietly. "Always am. But they needed us. We had to stop them, Ninjago needed us in the worst of it, if we hadn't-"

"I know, I know, I just-" Lou takes a breath. He finally meets Cole's eyes, and he's surprised to find his dad's eyes slightly red. "I…I know I was distant, before," Lou says, a little wistfully. "But it's hard, y'know, realizing that I've gotta share you with Ninjago."

Cole sucks in a breath. He doesn't — he doesn't really know how to work with this side of his dad, the kind that's open with feelings and — _looks_ at Cole like that. It's unfamiliar, but not…not necessarily in a bad way.

Cole just doesn't know what to _say_ , like the rock-brained moron that he is. And if he doesn't say something, he's probably gonna put his foot in his mouth, like he always does with his dad-

"But it helps," Lou suddenly continues, with a weak sort of smile. "It helps, knowing that the rest of the world gets to see how great you are."

Yeah, now Cole _really_ doesn't know what to say. Half of him wants to yell for Lloyd to come take over as leader and translate his emotions to words, because if anyone can do that it's-

…well, Zane, maybe? Nya might actually be better at that, 'cause the rest of them are disasters, and stuff-

"Thanks, dad," he finally manages to whisper. "I, um." He blinks hard, remembering the conversation he's had with Kai before, about how losing people once just makes you ten times more protective, and sometimes that can come out wrong if you bottle it up. He thinks about all the misunderstandings he's had with his dad, and how far they've had to come.

He finally steps over, and his dad has him firmly embraced before he can even get his arms up. Cole relaxes, hugging his dad back tightly — but not _too_ tightly — as the tight ball of anxiety in his chest finally unravels.

"Love you," he murmurs, and he's _pretty_ positive he hears his dad sniffle. Cole smiles.

This would be the highlight of Cole's week, actually — except after he and his dad finally pull apart, Cole just manages to catch the look on Lloyd's face before he turns away from them.

His heart sinks.

Maybe he'll stick with being the leader for now, just for a bit longer. His baby brother's gonna need someone to nag him before this gets any worse.


	10. Chapter 10

**Okay so I can't actually bring myself to put this on hold, even if it isn't the Christmas season anymore, I'm still too invested in it :'D Also you all are so, _so_ incredibly kind and encouraging - this has been a rough past week or so, but you guys have not only made it brighter but reminded me how much I love writing for these characters, and that it's actually really good for my sanity xD**

 **So we're going ahead with it then! Here's a Jay and Nya chapter, being their Jay and Nya selves - I'm aiming for about 25 chapters total with this, in case anyone is wondering.**

 **(I'm going to get to the Garmadon one eventually, I swear. I won't leave him in a coma forever, I promise.)**

* * *

"So this brings back memories, huh?"

Nya stares fixedly at the table, determinedly ignoring Jay's eighth attempt to change the subject.

"Aw, Nya, c'mon, it's not like I'm really breaking any rules. I'm technically still signed out of the hospital."

Nya cuts him a look. "Yeah, for _yesterday_. I told Lloyd you weren't as bad as him. What am I gonna say now?"

Jay taps his chin with the edge of the wrench. "Just tell him that the protectiveness extended over baby brothers is naturally stronger than the boyfriend kind of protectiveness, and since he can't kiss you in the middle of workshopping, he'll just have to - _ow_ , Nya!"

Nya rolls her eyes, giving him another whack across the knee with the handle of her screwdriver for good measure. Jay gives her a wounded look. "I need that knee, you know," he pouts.

"You also need your head together, but that doesn't seem to stop you," Nya mutters, returning to the gears in front of her. Ignoring Jay's defensive sputtering, she pushes the wheeled chair she's in back, sliding across the room to the doorway of Ronin's workshop.

"How's it goin', you two?"

Zane looks up from where he's bent over a Borg pad with Echo on Ronin's beat-up sofa, giving her a small smile. "We're alright, thank you," he says. "Just catching up."

"Zane keeps claiming that Jay once nearly unraveled the fabric of our dimension," Echo says, with narrowed eyes. "Is this another one of your pranks?"

Jay chokes, and Nya shakes her head. "Debatable," she says. "The jury's still out on whether that happened or not."

Zane gives her a betrayed look. "It _did_ , do you not remember-"

"Ha," Echo says, looking satisfied as he uses his good leg to steady himself. He's missing the other, where it's lying in a state of half-repair on Nya and Jay's worktable. "I knew it."

Zane shakes his head, looking back at the pad darkly. "It _did_ happen, I don't know why-"

"Tell him more about Christmas, Zane!" Jay interrupts. "Echo's gotta get in the spirit of the season too!"

Echo perks up in interest at that, his newly-repaired eyes glowing brightly. "I have done a little research of my own," he says. "But I am curious as to the purpose of chopping down trees and draping them in hazardous electric lights, as well as the tradition of allowing a strange man in red to invade your house, and-"

"Let's start with the tree," Zane says hastily, but Nya catches the happy edges of a smile on his lips as he explains the holidays to Echo. Nya can't help a grin of her own as she wheels back to the table — Zane's always had a family in them, but it's good to see him stepping into the role of brother to Echo as well. Apart from the initial awkwardness, and what had to be the stinging reminder of his late father, Zane's gotten along pretty well with Echo. Nya can't wait to introduce him properly to the rest of the team. She's sure they're gonna love him, once they get over the initial...surprise.

Nya bites her lip. If only she could've remembered sooner, she thinks, with a heavy feeling in her gut. The clouded, half-memories she has from the time with Nadakhan have cleared somewhat with Echo's presence, along with the glaring realization that they just _left_ him there, on the island, this whole time.

 _Geez_. Nya doesn't get how she missed that for this long. At least it's not as hard to remember, now.

It's also…somewhat unwelcome, because she doesn't really _love_ all those memories, but it's….it's good, she guesses. Stuff she needed to face, and all. Maybe she'll even bring it up with Kai again, or broach the subject with Cole. After all, he's kind of the only other one to really remember what dying feels-

Well. She's just glad she doesn't have to add Lloyd and Jay to that number.

(She steadily ignores the fact that Lloyd technically-)

"Hey." A gentle fist raps against her knee, as if tentatively knocking. Nya looks up to meet Jay's concerned gaze, eyes worried. "You okay?"

Nya shakes her head, saying nothing. Instead, she slowly reaches her hand up, carefully brushing the wild edges of Jay's curly hair back. He holds still as she gently traces the edge of bandages there, as if she can feel the ridges of stitches that lie beneath.

"Nya?" Jay asks, quietly. Nya sucks in a breathe.

"I don't think you get it," she whispers. "How much I _wouldn't_ have been okay. If you had - I'm worried for a _reason_ , Jay."

Jay's expression crumples. "And I'm so sorry, Nya," he says, looking at her earnestly. "But we came out alright. We're fine now, okay? You just gotta let yourself believe that."

"I'm trying, Jay," Nya says, shaking her head angrily and looking down. "But you don't understa-"

"Seriously, Nya?"

Her head jerks up at his tone. Jay doesn't look upset, exactly, but there's the same long-exhausted, weary look in his eyes she's seen in the mirror so much.

"Oh," she says, feeling gutted. Of _course_ Jay understands. If anyone could understand, could remember what it's like-

"Oh gosh, hey, don't cry, you're gonna set me off, too," Jay says quickly, and Nya lets him gently drag a calloused knuckle across her cheek, brushing away the tear that's slipped down. "You know I'm like a broken faucet if I start crying, I'll never stop."

Nya gives a shaky laugh, but she grabs for his hand anyways. "Yeah," she breathes. "Yeah, you're a real disaster."

Jay gives her a lopsided smile, then leans his head against hers, their knees bumping together as she leans forward to meet him. Nya can count every freckle on his cheek, they're so close. She lets her eyes flutter closed, taking comfort in the steady warmth of his head resting against hers.

She'd almost lost this. Forever, this time.

"I really am sorry," Jay says, his voice barely a whisper. "I didn't mean to put you through that."

Nya squeezes her eyes shut tighter, trying to banish the horrible images from her mind. Jay screaming, Jay falling, Jay bleeding-

"It _sucked_ , Jay," she says, voice hitching. "You wouldn't wake up. I had to hold all the blood from your head in."

"That's gross," Jay says, wrinkling his nose.

"It _was_ gross," she snorts wetly, unable to help herself. Leave it to Jay to find the humor in any situation, even the darkest ones.

That's just another part of why she loves him though, isn't it.

She finally pulls up, wiping at her eyes and giving him a small smile. Jay's eyes aren't entirely dry either, she notes, as he quickly dashes at them.

"We should probably start actually working on this thing," she says, gesturing to Echo's detached leg. "We're just making the rust problem worse at this point."

Jay snorts. "Yeah, poor Echo's gonna be stuck hopping around the whole holiday if we're not careful," he says. "What'd you wanna use to rewire this part, again?"

"Here," Nya says, handing him the screwdriver as she examines the rusted gear. "We're gonna need to strip some of this away, first."

They fall into their usual routine after that, a focused sort of camaraderie, technical suggestions and half-formed ideas punctuated by Jay's occasional jokes and Nya's teasing retorts. It's familiar in a way she's missed — there just hasn't been much time for the two of them to spend together, lately. Maybe she should give in and break Jay out entirely. Take them both, like, ice-skating or something, or whatever sappy stuff couples do together around Christmas.

Lloyd would never forgive her, though, she thinks with a pang. The only reason Jay's out with her now is because everyone's supposed to be visiting their families. Lloyd had _claimed_ he was gonna spend the day with his mom and visit his father, but…

Nya's got a pretty strong suspicion he's still steering as far clear as he can from Garmadon's hospital room.

Nya sighs. At least Kai is finally relaxing, spending the day with her mom and helping her shop for presents. And Cole's taking it easy too, though she's pretty sure he's just been roped into helping his own dad finally beat Cliff Gordon in poker. She snorts at the image. The Brookstone's house has been temporarily transformed into the local _parents-of-the-ninja-hotel_ , as Cole had termed it, since most of them live too far from the hospital. Cole's been trying to avoid the over-concerned adults best he can by avoiding the house entirely, but it seems like his dad finally succeeded at dragging him home for the day.

Oh well. Cole could use a bunch of adults pestering him about his well-being for once, instead of the other way around.

"So, uh, Lloyd won't really be too mad, will he?" Jay finally asks, a little tentatively. "I feel kinda bad leaving him alone again…"

"He'll be fine," Nya reassures him, not mentioning that she's put her own dad to the task of keeping an eye on him while they're gone. "He's with his mom, anyways. Supposedly."

"Uh-huh," Jay muses. He looks away, tapping his fingers anxiously against the edge of his wrench. "It, um. Was it…was it really that bad?"

Nya's own fingers still over the gear she's got in her hand, and she exhales wearily. "It — yeah, it kinda was," she says, quietly. "It was…it was a close one."

"Oh," Jay says, softly. "I wish I could've been awake to help, but I also kinda don't, you know?"

"You don't, Nya says, firmly. "I wish I could forget it. I wish I could've _stopped_ it, but I didn't, 'cause I'm an _idiot_ -"

"Hey, woah, no you're not," Jay quickly says, cutting over her. "Cole told me what happened, Nya, you did everything you could. Lloyd is — he's like that, y'know?"

Nya shakes her head. "He _shouldn't_ have been," she says, darkly. "He should learn to be selfish for once, I swear-"

"And you should learn to stop beating yourself up for something you can't change," Jay says firmly. "Geez, we're out for a day or two and everyone develops crippling guilt complexes."

"You say that like we didn't have them before."

"Well, okay," Jay sighs. "I…yeah."

They fall into a brief silence, their words echoing heavily in the room. He _is_ right, Nya'll admit. Whether the guilt complexes already existed or not (which they _totally_ did, Nya's not a moron) the general _brood-in-guilt-ridden-silence_ tendencies of their team have shot up wildly since the whole Oni...thing.

"You gotta help me with Kai," she decides to speak up. "He's taking it hardest right now, I think."

"Yeah, I've noticed," Jay says, his eyebrows furrowing. "What happened there?"

"He had Lloyd….after," Nya says slowly, half-wishing she hadn't brought this up after all, if only to avoid the memories. "He, uh…he saved him, but he had to...y'know. He wasn't crazy about that."

"Wha - _oh._ " Jay looks a little pale. "Ouch."

"Yeah," Nya murmurs.

They go quiet again for a beat again, the soft sounds of Zane and Echo's conversation filtering in from the other room.

"Welp!" Jay finally says, straightening. "Operation Cheer Everyone Up for Christmas is a go then. Lloyd and I have, what, like two or three days left in the hospital? We're gonna make it the best Christmas ever when we get out, just watch."

"Wait, just _two_ days?" Nya suddenly jerks up, panicked. Shoot, darn, other curses, they haven't even gotten the main mast up yet on the _Bounty_ -

"Uh, yeah?" Jay eyes her suspiciously. "Is that a problem? 'Cause I know you like taking advantage of that amazing hospital food as much as I do, but seriously-"

"No, I'm just — I've got, um…a project?"

Jay just looks five times more suspicious. And a little hurt, maybe. "A project?" he says, slowly. "Without me?"

Nya huffs. "Oh don't give me that," she flicks him on the forehead, and he makes a face. "It's a surprise," Nya says. "Y'know, no peeking at the Christmas presents, that sort of thing?"

"O-oh," Jay says, looking placated. His forehead suddenly pinches. "Wait, you aren't going all out on us again, are you? No over-the-top gifts? 'Cause I've gotta beat you out this year on presents, but this whole hospital thing has me behind, and-"

Nya stands up, leaning over and kissing him in full, neatly shutting off his rambling. She pulls back a little, smiling at the goofy look on his face.

"I'm _definitely_ beating you out this year," she whispers, before pulling away completely and sweeping into the next room, Echo's now-repaired leg in hand. She announces cheerfully, "Okay, guys, I think we're ready to re-attach this!"

Zane and Echo look up, smiling eagerly at her and looking not a little bit relieved. Nya can't blame them — being down a leg can't be the most comfortable position ever. She'd know from all the whining her brothers have done when they've broken theirs. She's already bent over the gears in Echo's leg by the time she finally hears the sputtering as Jay's brain kicks back into gear.

"Hey, what do you _mean_ , you're definitely — Nya! Stop looking like that!"


	11. Chapter 11

**Lloyd: "I'm never trusting anyone again!"**

 **Lloyd, five minutes later: "Yeah, sure, I'll help this random stranger and follow them into a dark alleyway, why not."**

 **Kai: *distressed screaming in the distance***

 **Anyways Lloyd is still a giant bleeding heart with no self-preservation instincts and that's what I'm sticking by! Or maybe he just really likes animals too much, either way that's at least supposed to be the point of this chapter.** **(Also haHA, this was all a clever attempt to shove my OC upon you all! Just kidding, Rachel is mainly here to help prove a point to Lloyd, and to make a connection later in this story. Also to let him meet someone for once who's not inevitably going to try and kill him.)**

 **A huge thank you as always to everyone who's reviewed, I'm hoping to get to all the individual replies as soon as I can! But to all you lovely guests and people I can't respond to (like Bob, who I love, I love you), thank you so very much, it keeps me going :'D**

* * *

Lloyd wonders if it's just a universal rule that all doctors need to have cold hands, or if the temperature's finally taking that drop the weather people kept talking about, and they might actually get snow this year.

Whatever the case, Dr. Hasting's hands are _cold_ , and Lloyd really doesn't appreciate him prodding at his wound like tha — _ow_ , yeah, like _that._ He winces, immediately trying to cover it up so the doctor doesn't notice. He scowls at the wall instead, ignoring the flares of pain as the doctor continues his inspection.

Lloyd fidgets underneath his gaze, resisting the urge to pull his shirt down and run. He doesn't like having… _it_ exposed like this. Having to feel the wound constantly aching is one thing — actually having to look at the awful, thick expanse of stitches that decorate his left side and the ugly, healing burns that surround it reminds him a little too much of how it _had_ felt, and how close he'd come to having all his insides spill out-

Lloyd swallows, trying to stifle his imagination before he feels even more sick. It's a good thing his blood is already a mish-mashed mess of several different beings, so it doesn't really matter what kind of human blood they decide to dump in. Kai didn't have to give so much though, Lloyd thinks, remembering how pale he'd been those first few days after.

He swallows again, feeling a little sicker. He knows _perfectly_ well why Kai's looked so hauntingly guilty lately, and while they've already talked about it, yeah, he's also tried - he's tried _so hard_ to make sure that Kai knows Lloyd holds nothing against him, because it's Lloyd's fault in the first place, and if anyone should be feeling guilty, it's-

Well, Lloyd feels plenty guilty as it is. He's caused his family so much trouble - so much _pain_. It's his fault they're all like this, he _knows_ it, if only he had just-

Lloyd chews on his lip, his insides in turmoil. _If only_ doesn't really cut it here. Because he knows, if he could do it over…he'd probably do the same exact stupid thing.

(Not that he's ever, _ever_ going to tell any of the others that.)

"Well, everything seems to be healing up fine," Dr. Hasting finally tells him, stepping back and straightening as he snaps off his gloves. "Try to avoid any strenuous physical activity, and we'll continue to keep an eye on it."

Lloyd quickly tugs his shirt back down, trying not to glare. Same old news as ever. You're healing just fine, don't run around and make a nuisance of yourself, just sit in bed all day until your eyes melt out of your head from boredom. _Ugh_. Lloyd is a _Garmadon_ , he's the grandson of the First Spinjitzu Master — he's part _dragon_ , for crying out loud.

Where are the perks? He didn't used to heal this slow.

Then again, Lloyd thinks, as he flees the examining room as fast as possible, tugging on his shoes — _shoes! thank you, Nya_ — as fast as he can. He's never gotten himself this hurt before, has he.

Lloyd shakes that dark train of thought off, skipping down the stairwell three steps at a time. He's only got two more days, he reminds himself. Just two more days stuck in this place, and he's _free_. All he's gotta do is stick it out and not get himself accidentally injured, or randomly attacked, or viciously stabbed in the back, or whatever destiny decides he doesn't have ticked off on his _"requisite traumatic chosen one experiences"_ list, for two short days.

Lloyd skips down another three steps before deciding that wincing every time he lands isn't worth it, so he hops up on the railing instead, kicking his legs out for balance and letting himself slide down. _Much_ better.

Maybe Jin'll be at the front desk today, Lloyd thinks to himself, as he starts to pick up speed. If he is, then Lloyd might be able to convince him to sneak him into the staff break room so he can swipe some real, _actual_ human junk food, and he can finally get over his sugar craving for real, so he doesn't have to keep swiping the little candies Jay's mom keeps in her-

" _Agh!_ "

Lloyd's high-pitched scream of surprise almost matches pitch for pitch the scream of the unfortunate person who's just sprinted through one of the stairwell doors, his momentum sending him crashing straight into the fluffy — _fluffy?_ — person hard enough to send them both sprawling back, tumbling down the next flight of stairs with a pained chorus of yelps.

Lloyd lays in dizzy, pained confusion on the steps for about two seconds, before a groan next to him sends him scrambling to his feet in alarm.

"Oh gosh, oh no, I'm so sorry-!" Lloyd hastily babbles out apologies as he hurries over to the person to help them up. He pulls them hastily to their feet, setting them down and abruptly realizing-

-it's a girl, about his age. Lloyd panics.

His first instinct is to _run!_ , because oh _no_ , not again, what if she's lost family members because of him too, what if she hates his guts and is preparing to murder him in the stairwell right now, what if he's just crushed her cell phone by running into her like an idiot and she decides to swear eternal revenge on him, what if-

Then Lloyd notices the dogs. Five fluffy, beautiful dogs swarming around her feet as she grapples with their leashes, barking excitedly at him.

Caught between fear that this girl's going to kill him and the overwhelming instinct to _pet cute dog_ , Lloyd's poor brain short-circuits.

"-s'okay, seriously, I was trying to drag them out too fast and I didn't look," the girl is saying hastily, her harried voice almost yanking Lloyd from his stupor.

Instead, Lloyd briefly forgets all manners and his voice in general as he decides to stare in awe at the small pack of dogs that flock around her. There's so. _Many_. Adorable dogs.

"Are - are you okay?"

Lloyd quickly yanks his attention back to the girl, who is frantically trying to brush dog hair out of her own dark ponytail, looking almost as panicked as he is. "I'm really sorry, I should've checked the stairwell first — my dad's a nurse, though, so if you've got like, a concussion, I have about twenty percent of an idea of what to do, so-"

"Oh, no, I'm - I'm fine," Lloyd says quickly, trying to get his brain to jumpstart again. "And I'm the one who's sorry, that was…definitely my fault, not yours."

The girl gives him an awkward shrug, her freckled cheeks darkening a bit as she looks down, one of the dogs starting to gnaw at her pant leg. "Nah, I was trying to get too many dogs to one place too fast, I guess. And you, uh, you looked like you had some good momentum going there."

Lloyd ducks his head, turning red. "Ye- _ah_ , uh…sorry? Again? I mean, you do have…a lot of dogs," he says, awkwardly. "So it, uh…looks difficult?"

 _Geez._ Good to know that if this girl doesn't kill him, Lloyd's inability to have a normal human conversation can do the job instead.

The girl just snorts, finally looking up and meeting him in the eye. She doesn't look a whole lot older than he is, her curly dark hair falling loose from her ponytail, her smile pulling at the multitude of freckles scattered across her face. "Yeah, that's one word for it," she sighs, looking at the dogs in exasperated fondness. "I'm normally supposed to have a partner with me to help out, but he's busy today. But it's worth coming in anyways, seeing the kids' faces, y'know?"

"They're for the kids?" Lloyd asks. Of all the days not to hang out in the common area-

"Oh - uh, yeah!" the girl flushes again. "Sorry, I just assumed you were - part of the staff, or something. Which is pretty dumb of me, now that I think about it, because you're like, my age, and you're not wearing scrubs or anything, and I - am gonna shut up now, yeah."

Lloyd snorts, in spite of himself, feeling a little less terribly guilty. At least she doesn't _seem_ like she wants to kill him. "S'okay," he says. "So uh, you bring the dogs in for the kids?"

"Yeah, they're service dogs," the girl explains, giving him a look of grateful relief for the topic change. "I volunteer with the animal shelter, y'know, the one that trains pets and stuff for people too? We try to visit the hospital as much as we can, though, 'cause the kids love pets."

She grins as one of her dogs starts sniffing at Lloyd's foot, looking curiously at him. "You can pet them by the way, if you want. They're a friendly crowd."

Lloyd doesn't need a second invitation, crouching down and smiling at the over-excited dog as it licks his hand. The dog is small and fluffy, it's copper-colored fur bouncing slightly as it plays with Lloyd's hand. It reminds him a bit of Jay, actually.

"Here, you can actually hold this one, if you want," the girl says, scooping up the ball of fur and dumping it in Lloyd's arms. "This one's Percy - he's super friendly, he'll love you."

Lloyd struggles to get ahold of the dog as it squirms in his grasp for a minute. Once he's able to get his arms firmly wrapped around it, the dog relaxes, content on licking Lloyd's face instead. He giggles at the feeling, wiping his cheek uselessly against his shoulder. The dog's tail bats against his arm as it wags happily, and it wriggles its way further up against Lloyd's chest, making itself comfortable.

"Sorry, he's a bit excited today," the girl says, apologetically. "It's been a while since I've got to bring him in, and uh…I don't think crashing into you really helped."

Lloyd doesn't mind in the slightest. It's like holding a giant, excitable ball of sunshine.

He glances back down at the dog, his hand scratching behind its ear. Man, why has Uncle Wu always kept strict pet rules? Like, Lloyd gets that they need to be focused on ninja stuff, and pretty much every home they've ever had has either been burned or exploded or crushed or — _somehow_ destroyed, but still. It's not like Lloyd's irresponsible — keeping Ninjago from destruction is a _way_ bigger responsibility than taking care of a pet, and Lloyd's done...well, he's done…

He's done _okay_ with that.

Look, Ninjago hasn't imploded in on itself yet, that should be sign enough that Lloyd can take care of a pet.

With a tiny, sad sigh, he hands the dog back off to the girl, scratching behind its ear one last time. "Thanks," he says, giving her a smile. "I'll, uh, let you get back to taking them home now."

"Yeah, about that…" The girl looks away, tugging at a particularly frizzy curl. "I dunno if you're busy or not, or if you're gonna take this as creepy 'cause I just almost gave you a concussion, but would you maybe wanna help…bring them back?" She looks ruefully at the dogs surrounding her. "I got myself in a little over my head here, I think."

And there it is, Lloyd's reached a crossroad in his commitment to stay out of trouble.

You would _think_ , after everything he's been through, that it would be easy — that Lloyd would have learned his lesson about random strangers who actually seem to want something to do with him, seeing as most of them end up wanting to, say, steal his power, or ransom him off or something. Especially girls, because in his experience, if a girl is interested in him, she's probably gonna try to kill him later.

Lloyd just has…very little good experience with meeting new people, at all, period.

However, this girl, whatever her motives may be, is offering him a door _out of the hospital_. Into the _real world._

And Lloyd's always been a sucker for cute animals. "Yeah, sure, of course!" he says, quickly.

(He can almost _hear_ Nya yelling at him in the distance.)

The girl beams. "Oh, you're a lifesaver," she says, gratefully. "Here, we can use the back exit, there'll be less people for the dogs to bother, and I've got a pass."

Oh yeah, Lloyd's _definitely_ going with her. She has a bunch of cute dogs, how bad can she be?

…he makes a mental note not to let Kai know that was his thought process later, just in case she _does_ end up trying to strangle him with a dog leash in a dark alleyway in five minutes.

* * *

"Thanks for helping out, seriously, I was in a bind there," the girl tells him, as they let the last dog off his leash. "I'm Rachel, by the way."

"Lloyd," he says, grinning back. "And it's no problem. I like animals, so it's not really a chore, or anything."

"Oh, good," Rachel says. "Then you'll like this — over here, we got new cats in the other day. My boss said they found 'em all on the streets, but they look a lot better now, since we've had the chance to feed them and stuff."

"Oh?" Lloyd tries not to sound too excited — 'cause he's got a reputation to keep and all — but the combination of being out of the hospital _and_ surrounded by animals is a pretty happy one.

"Yeah, here," Rachel says, leading him over to another section, where Lloyd can see several different cats lounging lazily. "This one here's actually an older one, though."

Lloyd crouches over by the cage, and tries very hard not to immediately fall in love. The cat in front of him is every bit as tempting as he was afraid it might be, small and fluffy and slightly scruffed-up, with a devious look in its eyes.

 _You're not here to get a pet,_ Lloyd reminds himself.

"She's still pretty scrawny, kind of a runt, I guess," Rachel tells him.

 _Oh,_ Lloyd thinks.

"She's been here for a while though. No one's wanted her yet, for some dumb reason."

 _Oh no,_ Lloyd thinks.

"They found her wandering lost downtown," Rachel continues. "I dunno if her mom was killed, or if she abandoned her 'cause she was so small, but she was-"

"How much is she?" Lloyd blurts out. Uncle Wu can suck it up, Lloyd has a cat to save and love and cherish forever and-

"Um, I'm not sure," Rachel says, looking slightly surprised. A smile splits across her face. "Wait, you want her?"

"Well yeah, I-" Lloyd pauses, staring at the cat. The cat stares back, it's kaleidoscope eyes doleful. Lloyd bites his lip. Reality is crashing back down on him, with its great reminders like _Lloyd can't sneak a full cat into the hospital_ , and _Lloyd doesn't have any money anyways,_ and _Lloyd doesn't even have a home right now,_ and _the cat deserves better but Lloyd's probably gonna cry into his pillow about this tonight_.

"I…can't, though," he finally admits, with a pang. "Sorry, I - I don't really have a way to take care of her at the moment."

"Aw, man, I'm sorry," Rachel says, hesitantly. "Well, I can keep an eye on her for you, if you want? Just in case anything changes."

"Oh, uh, yeah," Lloyd says, caught a little by surprise. "Yeah, that'd be great!"

"Sound deal," Rachel grins. She then bites her lip, leaning her head to the side, as if studying something. "Also, I _probably_ should've said something earlier, but um…are you supposed to actually be in the hospital right now…like as a patient?"

Lloyd follows her gaze to the hospital bracelet, now hanging obviously from his wrist where his hoodie sleeve has ridden up. He cringes. "Um…maybe?"

" _Oh_." Rachel rubs a hand over her temple, sighing in despair. "Jin's gonna murder me."

"I think I'll be first to die," Lloyd assures her, trying not to think about how long he's been gone. "Tamara's gonna hang my head from the hospital window as like, a warning or something."

"Or, we can make a run for it and see if we both survive," Rachel says, glancing at her watch. "Jin's kind of a slacker sometimes, so there's a slight chance they might not have noticed yet. You got a problem with sketchy alleyways?"

Lloyd shakes his head. He's _lived_ in sketchy alleyways. (Not that he's…gonna bring that up to her.)

"Great," Rachel grins. "Let's go, Lloyd."

* * *

Rachel takes him through three short-cuts he knows and one he doesn't, so while they do have to do a bit of awkward skip-jumping over puddles and ducking under construction ropes, they get back to the hospital before anyone can even notice that Lloyd's broken every single one of his promises to pieces.

(He carefully ignores that the only reason the others aren't here to kill him is because they're out with their parents right now, and are in blissful belief that Lloyd is visiting his.)

Well, he almost makes it past everyone. Jin gives him a half-exasperated, half-amused look as he slips through the doors, Rachel close behind.

"Please," Lloyd begs. " _Please_ , don't tell, I wasn't doing anything bad, I swear, I was just-"

Rachel looks between the two of them, and lifts her chin. "He was helping me, Jin," she cuts in, confidently. "We just dropped the dogs back off. It was really cool of him, too, because my partner left me alone today. If he hadn't been there to help me out, the dogs might've gotten loose, and just imagine what Tamara would say, if one went running through-"

"Alright, alright, I'm not gonna tell anyone!" Jin says, leaning back in his chair and laughing. "I'm not that much of a sellout. But c'mon, kid," he says, poking a pen against Lloyd's shoulder. "You've got two days left, you gotta get smarter than this. Tamara's gonna be cracking down, and the last thing you want is to get locked in here for longer."

"But how are you gonna survive without me?" Lloyd says, snatching the pen from him and balancing it on the desk. "After I've left you all behind in prison."

"How are we gonna survive not having to chase down half our patients every five minutes?" Jin grins, and Lloyd flushes. "It'll be a lot less exciting, that's for sure. But it's the holidays, kid, you don't wanna spend it stuck in the hospital for another week. Go back into the world for me, little bird, fly away and be free."

"Yeah, yeah," Lloyd mutters, handing Jin back his pen. "I'm going back to my room now, relax." He turns to Rachel, hesitating. "Thanks for, um, that. And sorry again for running into you."

Rachel waves him off. "It was nothing, for real. Thanks for helping out with the dogs. You should come by again sometime, they really liked you."

Lloyd turns slightly pink. "Oh, it was no problem, I had fun," he says, hurriedly. "And uh, I'd like to, but I really should probably get back upstairs now? Before Tamara catches me. But uh, it was super nice meeting you, and all your dogs and stuff! I'll, uh, I'll….text you?"

Lloyd almost frowns as he tests the words. That's the right thing to say, right? If you're trying to make normal friends, with normal people? You text them, instead of like, breaking the ice with near-death situations.

"Sounds good," Rachel smiles at him, giving him a little half-wave goodbye as he steps into the elevator.

Lloyd feels oddly proud of himself.

Not for long, though. His heart sinks as he leans back against the elevator wall, watching the numbers tick slowly up. Now he's gotta come up with another excuse for why he's not visiting….why he's not with Uncle Wu and his mom.

Funnily enough, he can't even think of one to tell himself.

Lloyd sighs. He'll figure something out eventually. In the meantime, hey! He met a girl and didn't end up dead in an alleyway, or used as a sacrificial tribute to resurrect a dead dark lord. That's gotta count for _something_.

* * *

The second Lloyd disappears into the elevator, Rachel whirls on Jin.

"Okay, spill," she says, leaning over the desk. "Who is he? Why haven't I seen him around? He's like — cute and sweet and crazy nice, which is a hard combo to find, y'know — where have you been stashing him all this time? 'Cause he looks like he's around my age, but I've never seen him at school, or any of the other academies around here..."

She pauses, tapping the desk. "Did he transfer from somewhere? Is that why his eyes are so cool? C'mon Jin, help me out, people who are that genuinely nice are hard to find."

Jin stares at her for a beat. He leans back slowly, regarding her. "He...he did tell you his name, right?"

"Well yeah, duh, it's Lloyd," Rachel frowns. "How's that help?"

Jin rubs a hand across his eyes. "Rachel, love. Lloyd _Garmadon_."

Rachel blinks. Her mouth opens, then closes.

"You know, Green Ninja Lloyd?" Jin prompts her. "Pretty famous, shows up on the TV a lot, regularly saves the city, you probably still have a poster with him on it, that Lloyd?"

Rachel stares at him, mouthing wordlessly, her eyes growing wider as a look of horror dawns upon her face. She whispers, slowly, "I asked...the Green Ninja…for his phone number?"

Jin shakes his head. "Don't worry. I'll get Tamara down here, she can kill you before you die of embarrassment."


	12. Chapter 12

**These keep getting longer I swear I don't know what's happening, they were supposed to be 1K each now they're at 4K-**

 **As usual, it's a sibling chapter that gets the length. Blood-related siblings this time, man I love Kai and Nya so much I could write about them for hours.**

 **As usual, a super-big enormous thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter, and keeps on reviewing! You guys have no idea how much you make me smile, and just how much more motivation it gives me to to write these chapters when I read them :'D**

* * *

"This was _supposed_ to be a surprise." Nya mutters darkly to herself, staring at the strip of open paneling in front of her.

"You told Dareth about it, what'd you expect?" Kai calls cheerfully back, stuck slightly on the floor below her as he bangs the anchor into place.

Nya starts, her eyes narrowing. "Dareth was the one who sold me out?"

"Nah-" Kai grunts, expression screwing up briefly in concentration as he drags the anchor to the right — then a little more, so it doesn't do that awkward-jerky thing he remembers when Cole dragged him up with it that one time. "-it was dad, actually." Kai stands back, wiping his forehead before clambering his way up to her. "Said you could use the help."

"Traitor."

"He's not wrong," Kai says, reaching Nya just in time to tug her toward him, out of the path from the plank that'd slipped loose. It clatters loudly past them, crashing and tearing a jagged hole through the floor before continuing on its destructive path.

Nya blinks, staring at the new hole in the just-as-new floor. She gives a muttering swear of frustration, and Kai snorts even as he scolds her.

"Sorry about that!" Dareth yells sheepishly, poking his head over the side of the open deck above them. "Ronin's fault."

"Oh sure, blame me, you clumsy-" Ronin's voice grouses from just beyond.

Kai and Nya exchange amused glances, then shake their heads and continue to work on their own portion, the open walls and electrical paneling in front of them.

"I'm just — thanks for that, by the way — saying, this was supposed to be part of your Christmas present," Nya continues, maneuvering over the hole back to her wires. "I was gonna blow your mind."

"You were gonna blow something up, that's for sure," Kai says tightly, barely dodging the shower of sparks as Nya yelps, the wiring in front of her apparently not as connected as she'd hoped.

"Stupid, useless-" Nya makes a face, pulling her gloves on tighter before attacking the wiring with a savage determination. "It would've been _fine_. I know what I'm doing, have some faith in me."

"I do have faith in you," Kai says, hefting a wall panel up and propping it in place. He glances around, eyes narrowing. Where'd he leave that electronic screwdriver, again…

"Here." Nya tosses him the power tool.

"Thanks," Kai says, tightening the end bit in place. "And — I _do_ have faith in you. I just have less faith in your sleeping habits."

"Huh, _that's_ not hypocritical at all."

Kai winces. He'd known Nya was gonna catch on pretty fast to his recent insomnia, but he'd hoped she wouldn't actually bring it-

Oh, who is he kidding.

"Well, it's not like it's much better coming from you," he grumbles.

"Please, I get at least five hours to your three."

"Great, we've got eight hours between us then. Put us together and you've got a functioning person."

Nya snorts. "Nice. We can just stand back to back, and I'll do Spinjitzu while you take a nap, then I can sleep while you finish them off."

Kai grins. "S'long as I get to deliver the punchline." He flips the electric screwdriver on for emphasis, the tool whirring in his hand.

"Oh no, Mr. _Not-So_ _-Fast_ , I definitely get to deliver the punchline-"

"That was one time!"

"Jay says you used it twice."

"…one time, on two separate occasions. Doesn't count."

Nya chucks one of her gloves at his head. "Loser."

Kai makes a face at her, before squinting back at the paneling as he screws it into place. Nya shakes her head, snatching her glove off the floor before returning to the wiring.

There's a moment of quiet as they both work, before Nya speaks up again. "…I'm serious, by the way," she says, her voice so quiet Kai almost doesn't hear it over the screwdriver. "About sleeping. I'm…I'm worried, y'know?"

Kai exhales, long and weary, and switches the power tool off. _Yeah_ , he knows.

But gosh, Nya's going for the throat there, admitting that she's worried. Because for all that Kai will happily suck it up and pretend he's perfectly fine, and like, _die_ before he admits he has a problem (and no, he's not stubborn, he's just used to having to make do) — Nya is also Kai's entire world, and her being worried, quiet and hesitant like that, is just hands down unacceptable.

"Nya, it's — I'm-" Kai takes a steadying breath, and looks at her, meeting her eyes. "I'm not fine, but none of us really are, you know?"

Nya nods, her face falling.

"But I'm gonna be," Kai promises, nudging her shoulder. "Okay? It's just nightmares and — the usual stuff. I'll get past it eventually. Always do."

"Yeah, I guess," Nya says, looking down at her feet. She takes a breath of her own, and looks up. "You know, Lloyd doesn't blame you," she says quietly, her eyes knowing. "He feels as bad about it as you do."

Oh, _oof_ , Nya's not pulling _any_ punches today. "…yeah, I know," Kai breathes. "But you weren't — he didn't — it's still gonna be…" Kai gestures at his head, as if that'll convey everything he wants to say but can't.

Nya seems to get it though, giving his hand a little squeeze before nudging him back. "You missed a spot," she nods to the wall.

Kai relaxes, grateful for the change in subject. "I wouldn't have, if _someone_ hadn't distracted me," he mutters, trying to sound annoyed.

"Excuses, excuses," Nya says, as she returns to her wires. After a minute, she pauses, glaring at her hands where they're tangled in the mess of wires.

"Drat. Missed that one. Hand me the pliers, will you? Should be in my backpack."

Kai hooks his leg through one of the straps of Nya's old, worn-out backpack, dragging it over before bending down and working the zipper open. He grimaces as the zipper gets caught in the fabric again, struggling to pull it free. It's way past time for her to get a new one of these. Maybe that can be his gift to her…?

Nah, backpacks are a lame Christmas gift, he decides as he finally gets it open, pulling the pliers out. He can always just get her one later.

"Thanks," Nya says, as she takes the pliers from him. She tugs at the wires, her frown deepening as she sticks the pliers in her mouth, yanking wires apart. "And…fanks for helping. Wif dis. I's nice."

Kai snorts. "I'm just glad I _can_ help," he says, wryly. "I'm surprised you didn't rope Jay in behind our backs."

"Nah, Jay's good with machines, sure," Nya says, spitting the pliers back into her hand. "But he's no blacksmith."

"Guess that makes sense," Kai says. He grins at her. "No one else is gonna understand your mumbling anyways."

"S'not mumbling, it's multitasking," Nya mutters. " _Finally_ — there!" She steps back from the wires, hefting her own panel up. "Screwdriver?"

Kai steps over, powering the tool on and screwing the panel in as Nya holds it in place. They finally step back, surveying their work, and Nya flicks the light switch on. The hallway lights blink once, before sputtering to life, glowing bright and steady. Nya grins, holding out her fist. Kai bumps it back.

"Right," he announces. "So that was exhausting. I'm gonna take a nap now."

Nya snorts, then — "Are you kidding me?"

Kai shakes his head, gingerly sprawling out on the freshly-built floor of the _Bounty_. "You wanted me to get sleep," he says, crossing his arms back beneath his head. "Here I go."

"You're a real riot, y'know that?" Nya huffs. But she flops down on the wooden floorboards herself, laying parallel beside him as they stare up at the half-built rafters, the sky above them a sharp, winter blue through the scaffolding. They're silent for a minute, and Kai stifles a yawn as he watches an errant cloud drift past.

"Hey," Nya suddenly speaks, nudging him. "Remember back when it was just us, and we used to stare through the holes in the roof like this?"

"Oh yeah," Kai says, smiling at the memory. "You used to get all mad at me when I tried to patch up your 'skylights.' Said you wanted to sleep under the stars, and I was suffocating your creativity."

"I didn't say _that_ ,' Nya says turning a bit pink. "I just thought they were cool, like the windows in rich people's houses. I had all the plans to put glass over them."

"And yet, when it started raining and leaked all over your bed, you always came and stole _my_ blanket."

"You had the warmer blanket, it was survival instincts," Nya says, unapologetically. "Plus, you always felt like a furnace. My own personal blanket heater."

"Yeah, I _remember_ , you used to stick your freezing toes on me."

"Aw, you never complained then," Nya giggles.

"Yeah, because I like, loved you, for some weird reason," Kai says.

"Gee, who would've thought," Nya says.

Kai snorts, reaching a hand out to ruffle her hair, turning her neat ponytail into a tangled mess. Nya shoves his hand away, grumbling as she brushes her hair back into place.

She speaks up again, after a beat. "D'you ever miss it?"

Kai turns his head to her, confused. "Miss what?"

"When it was…just the two of us," Nya says, a little hesitantly. "I mean — not that I'd want to go back to that!" she continues hurriedly, before Kai can open his mouth. "I just, like…nostalgia miss it. I wouldn't trade the others for the world, and the amount of responsibility you had to — we _needed_ someone else, and I'm glad we found people, but — sometimes I think about those times and I just…it makes your chest feel funny, you know? Like nostalgia."

"Like nostalgia," Kai echoes. There are… a lot of parts of growing up that he doesn't miss. _A_ _lot_ a lot, like triple checking the locks at night and jumping at every sound, and the late nights spent trying to figure out how they're gonna eat the next month, those few awful times Nya would get sick and he'd just be _lost_ , hours spent taking out all his frustration and fears and the _constant worry_ that he was letting Nya down on useless, lumpy metal-

But there _is_ that nostalgia, the hollow, achey kind of feeling when he realizes how much _older_ Nya's gotten, and thinks about how long it's been since he was able to pick her up and hold her and hide her from everything that's awful about the world. Besides, he's never _really_ been unhappy when he's been with Nya, he thinks. Stressed, maybe, but they always had each other.

"Yeah," he says, quietly. "Yeah, I get that."

Nya hums. "Guess we really are stuck with each other for life, aren't we."

"Ugh, what a nightmare," Kai grins. "Guess that means I gotta put up with motormouth forever too, huh?"

Nya shoves him, trying not to giggle as she whacks his shoulder. "You _said_ you'd lay off, you jerk-"

Kai breaks into muffled snorts, kicking her in the leg as he struggles to hold her arms back from whacking him again. They're minutes away from dissolving into an all-out war when a voice from the deck above breaks them up, echoing throughout the construction.

"How goes the building down there, you two?"

Kai blinks up to see Cyrus Borg peering down at them from the rafters, Pixal perched beside him with an amused look on her face. Kai gives them a thumbs up.

"So far, so good!" Nya calls, propping herself up on her elbows. "How close we lookin'?"

"I think I've finally gotten the rocket boosters installed right!" Pixal calls, looking pleased with herself. "And Mr. Ronin is helping us maneuver the sails in place-"

"What's this _Mr. Ronin_ nonsense, I told you-!"

Pixal pauses, rolling her eyes briefly. " _Ronin_ is finishing up work on the sails. If we keep up at this rate, I think we might be able to make the target deadline."

Nya gives a whoop of victory, letting herself flop back on the floor. "Told you so!" she calls up to Ronin, whose grumbled muttering in return can just barely be heard. "You too, dad!"

"I always had faith in you, sweetheart!"

Kai snorts, stretching his shoulder out and cringing as something in his back pops.

"While you're taking a rest, I suggest you drink something!" Borg calls down, tapping quickly at a Borg pad, holding it up as if comparing what's on the screen to the ship. "We wouldn't want you getting dehydrated - I had someone on my crew nearly pass out the other week, a terrible shame, poor workers so devoted they don't even look after themselves-"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming," Nya sighs, pushing herself to her feet.

"Grab me one?" Kai waves at her, deciding that getting up from the floor is too much trouble for something as simple as hydration.

"No, lazy, get your own," Nya says, toeing him in the side as she walks past.

Kai groans, throwing an elbow over his face. It's not that he's _lazy_ , he just doesn't wanna get up. The floor is feeling pretty comfortable right now, alright? And those three hours of sleep, it turns out, aren't really cutting it, even with the full six hours he got crashing in Lloyd's hospital room the other night, because Lloyd's a sprawler and Jay talks in his sleep, and _man_ Kai loves his brothers but no one seems to value the concept of sharing a blanket, instead of hogging the whole entire thing for themselves.

(Lloyd, he's talking about Lloyd.)

Oh, and Kai keeps waking up with nightmares on the hour. That…probably isn't helping much, either.

Kai sighs, closing his eyes briefly. They've been getting better lately — Lloyd and Jay's steady recovery is helping with that. But he's still got those images seared into his brain, those horrible moments imprinted on the backs of his eyelids, the sound of Lloyd's scream forever pasted on replay in his brain-

"Dude, you're spacing out again."

Kai's eyes snap open, blinking rapidly as the world swims back to focus. Nya is standing above him, soda in hand, looking slightly concerned. "You with me?"

"Hmph," Kai throws his arm back over his face. "I was trying to get that sleep you're pestering me about, since _someone_ won't bring me a drink-"

"Relax, drama queen, I got you one too," Nya says, shaking an identical soda in his face. "They're extra-cold, 'cause it's freezing out here."

"Wow, you really are getting into the Christmas spirit of giving," Kai says, sitting up and snatching it from her before she can shake it up anymore.

Nya smirks, sitting down beside him and taking a sip. "Consider it your early Christmas gift."

"Just what I wanted," Kai mutters. "Hey, speaking of, what are you gettin' Lloyd?" he asks, as he twists the cap of his soda open. "I've got a couple ideas, but I wanna make it special this year, y'know?"

"You want Lloyd's gift to be special every year," Nya rolls her eyes fondly. "But yeah, I get that." She hesitates, chewing on her lip as if debating something. "I actually…I had an idea, but I'm not so sure if it's a good one anymore."

"Why's that?" Kai asks, curious. Nya usually isn't unsure about things, much less when it comes to stuff like this.

"It's…here, I've actually got it with me, I'll just show you." Nya sets her drink down, reaching behind her and hefting her backpack up, briefly struggling with the zipper before pulling out a leather-bound book. "So, d'you remember a while back, when we brought Lloyd to our parents' with us for the weekend?"

"Of course," Kai nods, watching as she fiddles with the cover. "We had a good time, I thought."

"Well yeah, duh," Nya says. "But there was one night, right before we left, when I found him — you know that wall mom has, with all our family pictures, like the baby one where you still have all your freckles?"

Kai flushes. "Still can't believe that one exists," he mutters. He shakes himself back, studying his sister. "He was looking at them, right? He made fun of me later."

"Yeah, but when I found him he looked kinda sad," Nya says. "He told me — well, you remember what you told me he said on the Dark Island, that he didn't even know what his dad had looked like before?"

"Yeah," Kai says, finally realizing where she's heading with this.

"You know how many family pictures the Garmadons have? Zero. Zip. Nada." Nya sets the book in front of him, which Kai now recognizes as one of those nice photo albums you can get at the art store. "So when dad mentioned they all used to be friends, I thought-"

"-you asked them if they had any pictures," Kai finishes. He shakes his head, smiling at her. "Sap."

Nya turns a light pink, and she makes a face at him. "Hypocrite? Anyways, I've been going between all the old crew, Cole's dad and ours and Sensei, seeing if they had any they wanted to donate, y'know?"

"Woah." Kai squints at the photograph on the first page. "Is this a _wedding_ picture?"

"Yeah," Nya says, grinning as she leans her chin on his shoulder so she can see as well. "Look, mom was in it."

"That's _weird_ ," Kai says, staring at the picture of Garmadon and Misako, years younger where they're smiling. He has to blink a few times as he stares at the young Garmadon — half of him doesn't really believe that _this_ was the same Garmadon he knows. Mainly because the resemblance to Lloyd is wildly uncanny, and almost a bit unsettling. Kai can see it in the tilt of his eyes, the way his hair curls over his forehead, but the thing that's really getting him is the mouth, because-

"Guess we know where Lloyd got his smile from," Nya says, quietly. Kai swallows.

"Lloyd wears it better."

Nya snorts quietly. "Obviously." She flips through the next pages, revealing other pictures of the old elemental masters together — he recognizes his parents, of course, but there's also a woman with blonde hair and a bright smile in a deep blue gi he doesn't recognize, and a dark-haired woman with equally dark eyes who stands a good foot taller than the blonde woman, but has a soft smile that's eerily familiar.

Kai can guess who they are, though.

There's not a whole lot of pictures with the old elemental masters, but there's enough of a younger Garmadon and Misako to make the uneasy feeling he's always had about them let up a bit. They were obviously happy together, which is weird to see here-

"Oh my _god_ , is that baby Lloyd?"

"Yup," Nya grins, shifting the book so Kai can gape at the picture. Lloyd is nothing more than a tiny bundle of blankets with a wisp of blond hair poking out the top, held protectively by Garmadon as he is, but it's obviously him. _Finally_ , Kai thinks, grinning himself. He's got some sort of ammunition against Lloyd in the baby picture betrayal-

"That's the only one I have of him, though," Nya says, her face falling. "I couldn't really find…I guess they didn't have the chance to take any others."

"Oh," Kai says, his own heart dropping. That…makes sense, because the Garmadons' lives went to hell in a handbasket pretty soon after, but it's…it's sad, that this is all Lloyd has.

Kai chews on his lip. It's not like Lloyd would want any pictures of Darkley's, anyways.

"So I kinda just filled the rest of it with pictures of us," Nya continues, determinedly flipping the page. "'Cause we're his family, too."

Kai can't stop the smile that spreads across his face as he looks over the pictures Nya's pasted in the book — the candid shots Nya snapped of Lloyd when he was still a baby-faced midget, the slightly-blurry ones they took after the final battle, the blinding smiles after the tournament, Zane sandwiched in the middle of their group hug, the sunshine-bright picture they all took together at the docks that one time, all the birthdays and holidays and rare events they took pictures at throughout the years, from Cole's artistic portraits to Kai's awful selfies he'd dragged them all into.

"Nya, this is great."

"You think so?" she asks hesitantly, tapping her fingers on her soda bottle. "I mean, the pictures with us are great, but I wasn't sure if the earlier ones would just…bring back bad memories, or not."

Kai leans back, regarding the album as he turns it over in his head. He gets why Nya's worried — thinking about it himself, he's not crazy about the idea of giving Lloyd pictures of what his family used to be. It could go badly, in the way that like, reminds Lloyd that he never got to experience that, and ended up with a soulless shell of an excuse for a father instead.

But it could also go _well_ , in a way that reminds Lloyd that he comes from a family that wasn't always pain and heartbreak, and that he was born into a family who very much wanted him.

"I dunno," Kai finally admits, exhaling. "I'm gonna have to sleep on that one."

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Nya sighs, closing the album and stuffing it back in her bag. "Maybe I'll ask Sensei what he thinks." She tosses her backpack down, and scoots next to Kai, kicking her legs over the edge of the hole in the floor. "So, any ideas how you're gonna outdo me?"

Kai rolls his eyes, then smirks. "Oh, I'm sure I'll find a way," he says, swirling his soda.

He conveniently avoids mentioning that he doesn't even know what he's getting _her_ yet, and really doesn't have much of a clue either way.

"Well, I hope it's a good one," Nya says, leaning back and bracing her weight on her hands. "Lloyd's been a _grouch_ today. He was pouting all morning when I visited him. What gives? He gets out of the hospital tomorrow, he should be bouncing off the walls."

"Ah." Kai cringes. He _does_ actually know what that one's about. "Sensei shot him down on a pet for the eight hundredth time," he explains. "Apparently he found another cat to fall in love with. Sensei didn't feel the same."

"Oof." Nya shakes her head. "You think he'd have learned by now, huh?"

"Yeah, but…" Kai trails off, staring into his soda. "I dunno. I don't see why its such a a big deal. He just wants a cat, it's not that much work. Lloyd's responsible….most of the time."

"You _would_ say that," Nya snorts, taking another sip of her soda. "Softie. When did he even have the chance to find a cat to fall in love with anyways?" she muses. "The hospital didn't seem big on pets."

"Oh, the girl he met yesterday took him to the animal shelter," their father announces, as he steps down from the upper deck.

Nya chokes on her drink. Kai straight spits his out, spraying soda everywhere.

" _What?_ "

"He only left for a short time," Ray assures them, as if _that's_ going to make it any better. "They came straight back."

"And you just - just let him _go_ _with her?_ " Nya half-shrieks. Their dad shrugs.

"She seemed like a nice girl. The receptionist told me she was a good kid."

"Wait, wait, okay, hold on-" Nya holds her hand out, taking a deep breath. "You're telling me — that I asked you to keep an eye on Lloyd, for a _few short hours_ , and in that time, you just. You let him _run off_ with some _random_ _girl?!_ "

"Well, yes," Ray says, looking confused. "He was just helping her, she was around his age."

" _Dad!_ "

Nya makes a strangled sound. Kai isn't even able to do that much — he's too busy having what he's pretty sure is an aneurysm, or something like that, whatever makes your brain explode-

He _knew_ it. Kai _knew_ he shouldn't have left Lloyd alone, Lloyd's got zero self-preservation instincts, Kai knows this, it's just standard Lloyd-Watching 101.

But for _FSM's sake_ , Kai would've thought Lloyd would at least have the common sense not to go running off with - with another _girl_.

"I'm gonna kill him," he finally wheezes.

His father stares between the two of them, looking vaguely concerned and a little exasperated. "Don't you think you're both being a bit overdramatic?"

"Dad," Nya says, firmly. "If there's one thing our family _isn't_ , it's overdramatic."

Her father looks at her, narrowing his eyes a bit. Nya's fierce expression ebbs. They turn in unison to look at Kai.

Nya sighs, some of her fury abating. "Okay, _most_ of our family."

Kai briefly considers chucking the rest of his soda over them both.


	13. Chapter 13

**So instead of just stepping out of my comfort zone I'm gonna hurl myself headfirst out the window and write for all three nindroids at once, whoo!**

 **(...I actually really enjoyed writing for Echo. He's a sweetheart, 10/10 deserves better.)**

 **I really, really want to get this fic finished soon (the next chapters for Raising Hell and DCTN are just _sitting_ there, like 80 percent done, but hnksjghf I gotta FINISH) so hopefully I can move it along a little quicker! Once we hit the Garmadon chapters it should speed up, I've already got the majority of those written. In the meantime, here's three lovely nindroids doing their best to have a good holiday, enjoying weather I kinda wish we'd see where I live for once.**

 **A huge thank you to everyone who reviewed as usual, I love you guys! Trying to catch up on responses as always, but shout-outs to Bob, Momomomo, Angel Star Ninja and other Guest because I can't reply to yours that way, thank you so much, you guys are wonderful!**

* * *

Not for the first time since he's set foot in Ninjago, Echo once again finds himself grateful that he cannot feel the bitter cold - nor will the lowering temperatures hinder his movement as terribly anymore. (The last one a credit to Nya and Jay, of course.)

That does not mean he has to _like_ the crystallized water that started falling last night, and has yet to stop piling itself up on every available inch of ground, though.

"I know that I am…new to this," Echo says, frowning sightly as his boot sinks a foot deep in the slushy snow. "But I find myself questioning why everyone is so excited for snow? So far, it seems only to cause problems for humans."

 _And mobility in general_ , he thinks, trying not to grimace as he stumbles clumsily through the thick drifts.

"It is a seasonal thing, I suppose," Pixal says, brushing a clump of snow from where it's gathered against the furry hood of her jacket. Echo isn't entirely sure why they're all bundled up as they are, sweaters and coats and hats that Pixal had explained to him are ugly, but must be worn anyways because Jay's mother made them for them all. It's not like they really need the shelter from the cold, though Echo must admit it's...nice, looking as colorful as the other humans.

"Just wait until you actually experience the pleasant parts of it," Zane speaks up, where he's walking effortlessly over the snow, a contrast to Echo and Pixal's frustrated wading. "When we meet back up with the others, we'll show you how to build snowmen, and have a proper snowball fight."

Echo's not quite sure why anyone would want to fight in the snow, but so far he's enjoyed the activities the other ninja get into, so he smiles and nods. "That would be nice."

Then the snow around his legs finally wins out, and Echo face-plants gracelessly into a thick layer of the cursed white matter.

"Echo!" Zane yelps, at his side in an instant, pulling him from the snow. "Are you alright?"

"It's just snow, Zane," Pixal says, stepping over and brushing some from Echo's forehead. "There. Alright?"

Echo nods, trying not to let his embarrassment show on his face. It seems that he fails, because Pixal's expression creases in sympathy.

"It's perfectly normal to have trouble walking through snow this thick," she tells him. "This area hasn't been shoveled yet, either, so it's deeper than usual. Zane is just an outlier, because he _cheats_."

"I do not," Zane says, miffed. "My elemental powers merely give me the ability to-"

"Yes, yes, perhaps your elemental powers would like to share this ability with the rest of us?"

Zane gives a long-suffering sigh tinged in amusement, but he brings his hands down, concentrating, and clears a neat path in the snow for them. "There," he says, standing back up. "Sufficient?"

"It'll do," Pixal says, ushering Echo onto the path. "This is why we brought Zane," she tells him. "He's a very good snow-clearer."

"And that's all?" Zane frowns.

"An argument could be made for more," Pixal smiles, linking her arm with his.

Echo watches them, noting the way Zane's eyes soften and glow, as if lighting up the way the human ninjas' eyes do when they're happy. It's fascinating, Echo muses, how human they appear.

He would like to be that way, he thinks. Eventually. If possible.

"We're almost to the store," Zane tells him, a bit apologetically. "It should be much easier to get around when we reach the inner city. Hopefully the sun will have melted the worst of it by the time we head back."

"Don't let the others hear you say that," Pixal says. "They're fairly excited about this weather."

"The store," Echo repeats, frowning a bit. "Why are we going…there, again?"

"Lloyd and Jay — the small blond one, and the loud one with freckles — will be released from the hospital tomorrow," Pixal explains, as she brushes an errant snowflake from Zane's cheek. "So we are having a celebration. Ronin and our other friends have been working hard, but they could always use a little help."

"That is not the reason you used earlier," Zane says, with a hint of amusement.

Pixal blows a short breath out. "We are with Echo now. I'm not going to insult Ronin in front of him before he has the chance to decide what he thinks for himself."

"I liked Ronin," Echo speaks up, remembering the gruff-voiced man. "He was very straight-forward. And funny."

Zane bites back a laugh at that, for some reason. "He would appreciate that, I think."

Their surroundings begin to change the further they walk into the city, the snow thinning as great buildings sprawl up around them, stretching high into the overcast sky. Echo stares up at them, wide-eyed. He'd seen the city from afar earlier, but actually walking among the giant structures is a different experience.

There are people now, too, running back and forth on the streets as they hurry to escape the cold, scarves and coats pulled tightly against them. They seem in a cheerful mood though, Echo realizes, as they stop to call greetings to the three of them, their eyes widening as they recognize Zane. There are a few that recognize Pixal as well, a young girl who points at her, shouting happily about a s _amurai_ before her mother hurries her off, sparing them a breathless _thank you_ before escaping the cold.

It is pleasant, Echo finds, being greeted. Seeing smiles, hearing different voices. It is a strange experience, but one he thinks he likes.

"Here we are," Zane speaks up, stopping in front of a large building. Echo squints up at the sign, his processors informing him that it's a popular department store, whatever that means. "Do you have the list?"

"I don't need a list," Pixal says, as they pass through the large glass doors. "It's just decorations, anyways. This might be a good opportunity to pick up Christmas gifts, however."

"You still haven't purchased yours yet?" Zane asks.

Echo doesn't hear Pixal's response. He's too busy staring.

 _Loud_. That's his first thought as they step fully into the store, the sudden cacophony of sounds hitting him like a crashing roll of thunder, except the thunder never _stops_. There are voices, more voices than he can count, all echoing throughout the giant building, mixed with electronic chiming and other sounds he doesn't recognize. It's also _bright_ , almost too-bright, hundreds of ceiling lights and chandeliers and blinking signs filtering through his processors, almost too much to handle at once.

And then Echo is surrounded by _the people_ , and he starts to think it might actually be too much too handle after all.

There are _so many_. So many different people, so many different voices, so many different colors all pressing in on him at once, passing by him at dizzying speeds, small people and tall people and loud, _loud_ people, their voices crowding in on him until Echo can't even hear his own thoughts, and he's stuck with the dizzying feeling that he's losing hold of himself-

"Echo?" Zane's concerned voice filters through the haze. He blinks, vaguely realizing that they've come to a halt among the dizzying crowds of people, standing just aside near some of the display stands. Pixal stands on the other side of him, her eyes worried. "Are you alright?"

Echo tries to answer, but his voice processors feel as if they've rusted up again. He takes a breath. Then takes another, even while reminding himself that such a gesture is useless — he has no lungs to fill, no heart to steady, even if it feels as if his processors are racing a mile a minute, and there's a sharp tightness crushing in on him, like the silent feeling of loneliness except for more intense, more vibrant, voices and bodies and people and _noise_ , so much noise, all pressing in at once, crowding his senses and pushing him back, back, _back_ -

-back into a nearby stand, sending the glass case which rested on top crashing to the floor. The shattering of glass sounds like rain, and brings the same heavy, sinking feeling of uselessness that the promise of water once did. Rusted joints and helplessness. The loud voices fade out into a blur, a sound that reminds him of the roar of the ocean in a storm, crashing and merciless and-

"-focus on my voice, just my voice, alright? Echo?"

Echo gives a gasping intake of air, blinking rapidly as shapes and colors solidify again before him. He's moving, he processes almost blankly — slow, steady steps as he's guided through the doors by — Zane, that is Zane's arm around his shoulder, Zane who claims to be his brother, Zane will know what's wrong with him-

"-okay, here, just keep with me-"

Zane is pushing them back through the doors, out into the snowy, frigid air, and Echo inhales another gasping breath, the sudden quiet bringing him back to awareness a bit.

"Alright, let's — let's sit over here, is that alright?"

Zane brings them over to a quiet park, abandoned in the cold temperatures. Echo nods as he leads him over to one of the benches that line the sidewalks, just in front of a frozen fountain. Zane makes sure Echo is firmly seated, brushing fallen snow off the bench, before taking a seat next to him. It's quieter where they are, removed from the sounds of cars in the streets, and the winter winds rustle quietly through the tall trees that stretch around them.

"There," Zane says, draping his own scarf over Echo's shoulders. Echo blinks at the gesture, confused. "Better?"

Echo nods, still unable to find his voice. From the crushing feeling or the slowly-growing shame, he's not sure.

"Pixal remained back in the store," Zane continues to speak, explaining. "She'll take care of the display stand, so you don't have to worry about that."

Zane's expression shows nothing but confidence in Pixal's abilities, the same happy look Echo notices he wears whenever he speaks of her, but Echo's heart — not _heart_ , Echo doesn't have a heart — sinks nonetheless.

He is Echo Zane, built to help others. He isn't built to ruin others' belongings in a moment of irrational weakness. He certainly isn't built to simply cause trouble for Zane and Pixal, who have been nothing but kind and good to Echo since he's known them. But here he is, causing those problems regardless, and of no help at all.

 _They'll send him back_ , he thinks, in a sharp moment of terror. Any rational argument that Echo should not feel such fear anyways is washed away in the wave of panic that he's going to lose this, that he'll be sent back to the lonely darkness of the lighthouse, away from the double that could be his brother, away from the bright happiness of Zane's family before he even has the chance to understand it-

"I'm sorry," Echo blurts out, almost desperately. "I am ashamed that I reacted like that, I-"

"Oh no, Echo, I'm the one who should be sorry," Zane says, regretfully. "I should have anticipated that. It's my fault."

"But I — it was my fault, I should not have reacted as I did-"

"You had every reason to react as you did," Zane speaks over him, firmly. "I should have seen that coming. Of course, you aren't used to atmospheres like that, I should have remembered-" Zane cuts off, shaking his head as if _he's_ the one ashamed. "I apologize for putting you in that position. It was thoughtless of me."

Echo is utterly baffled.

"But I…" he starts, weakly. "I was the one who reacted incorrectly. I…I do not know what came over me, the feelings, I-" Echo cuts off, remembering the strange surge of fear he'd felt, the overwhelming sensation of panic. "I should not have felt that way. I'm built better, I _should_ be better."

Zane is quiet for a minute, staring at him with an odd expression on his face. Echo notes that it's oddly pained.

"You have a right to your emotions," Zane finally speaks up, quietly. "I know it's…a strange concept, at first, but it's true."

Echo blinks. "My…emotions?"

"What you feel," Zane says, patiently. "The quiet feelings, the loud ones, the ones that seem like they'll overpower you. They are normal, I promise. There's nothing wrong with feeling other things."

Echo shifts uncomfortably, looking down at his hands. There's still that small flash of surprise when he links them, the strange feeling of waiting for rusted creaking and resistance when none ever comes.

"Why are we like this?" he finally asks. "We are — we're robots. Nindroids, or however your family puts it. Not humans."

Zane leans back, blowing his breath out quietly. "To be entirely honest, I'm not sure," he admits. "I had thought, for a long time, that it was simply the way father built us. But then Pixal…she's like us as well, and she was built by Cyrus Borg." Zane purses his lips. "I have to wonder if it's not simply inherent to all nindroids, but I don't think that's the case. Perhaps it's the way we were built. Borg cared for Pixal, as our father cared for us, and perhaps that spilled over as they built us."

"Pixal was built by Mr. Borg?" Echo asks, hesitantly. He had suspected as much, but he had hesitated asking where Pixal had come from, unsure of whether he had the right or not.

"Yes — though she claims otherwise, Pixal is a far superior nindroid than I am," Zane smiles. "The only exception was my core, which I once shared with her."

"Is that why Pixal has electrical wires for tasing people in her hand, and you do not?"

Zane gives a snorting laugh. "Do you _really_ think Jay hasn't tried to force one of those on me?"

Echo finds himself giving a small laugh in response, and feels a flash of pleasure as the heavy feeling in his chest lightens. He takes another steadying breath, deciding he likes the feeling.

"So our…our emotions, they are…as real as the others' are?"

Zane looks at him, his eyes softening. "Jay hasn't tried to tell you the story of Pinocchio yet, has he?"

Echo frowns in confusion. "Who?"

"Good," Zane says. "Don't worry about that. I have a better story. About a nindroid who didn't realize he was a nindroid, and a bunch of stubborn ninja who dragged him into their family."

* * *

By the time Pixal messages them that she's on her way, the snow has picked up, drifting thickly down around them.

"-sorry about the story, that ended up….a bit longer than I meant it to be," Zane is saying, apologetically.

"I liked it," Echo says. "I like your family."

"I do, too," Zane smiles softly. "And they like you - Echo, whoever you decide you want that to be. Just remember that, alright? Whenever you feel too much, or feel like you _shouldn't_ feel — it's normal. And you can always come to me."

"..alright," Echo finally says, turning everything Zane's told him over in his head. "I…it is an adjustment, all…this, but eventually, I'd like to try the store again?"

"Of course," Zane says, smiling. "When you feel you're ready. Until then, we can start with the party? There won't be as many people there, and they will all be friends."

"That sounds nice," Echo says. "I'd like that."

"Good. And Echo?" Echo turns to his brother, watching Zane's serious expression. "My family — they're yours, too."

Something in Echo's chest tightens again, but it's a different sensation this time. A little painful, perhaps, but in a pleasant way. In a way Echo likes.

He opens his own mouth to thank Zane for understanding, for explaining, for — simply being Zane, he supposes—

When a fat clump of snow smacks into his brother's head, leaving an expression of utter shock on his face.

"Ha! And I thought you claimed your reflexes had improved!" Pixal calls cheerfully, dusting snow from her gloves as she strides toward them. She grins brightly at him. "Behold the famous Ice Ninja, Echo."

Echo covers his mouth with a hand. He doesn't want to laugh, because Zane has been so kind, and Echo doesn't entirely understand why Pixal has hit him in the face with snow, but the look on his face is so _funny_.

Zane blinks, carefully wiping the snow from his face. Echo's laughter dies a rapid death at the smile that crosses his face. Echo is not well-versed in the instincts of the ninja, but he knows the look in Zane's eyes means nothing good.

Pixal knows it too, as she quickly grabs his hand and yanks him to his feet, dragging him across the park and into a sprint.

"Run," she gasps, through breathless laughter. "Echo, run!"

Echo glances behind him, but he's quickly forced to turn back ahead before he trips in the snow again. "Wait, why?" he asks, heart beating loudly.

"This is a snowball fight," Pixal explains. "And Zane is the _Ice_ Ninja," she repeats her sentence from earlier. "I only managed to tag him because he was unprepared. If we do not take better ground, he'll-"

The ground beneath them suddenly freezes solid, and Pixal and Echo's cries of surprise echo through the empty park as they slip, sprawling out against the sheet of ice beneath them. Zane strides casually up to them, staring down at both of the them with the hint of a wickedly triumphant grin on his face.

"Bold move, Samurai X, bold move," he says, casually tossing a snowball from hand to hand.

Pixal makes a face at him, then sweeps her leg under his, sending Zane sprawling over them both with a yelp. Pixal bursts into laughter, which quickly turns to a shriek as Zane mashes his snowball against her face. Echo, still slightly confused at the giddy feeling welling in his chest, decides that it's a confusing feeling he likes. So he holds onto it, throwing his own head back and letting his laughter join theirs.


	14. Chapter 14

**So I have no idea how many of you have seen the March of the Oni episodes but oh boy! No spoilers but - hngh. This is officially AU now I guess but oh well :'D Was bound to happen eventually.**

 **(someone yell at me about that last episode please-)**

 **Anyways, I'm weak for a fluffy party scene, you guys. They all deserved some happiness in their lives, so enjoy me trying to stuff as many characters as possible while trying to keep to a plot! (Also I know Chamille is supposedly a "bad girl" now but you know what, this is already AU so she was just getting Starbucks or something during s9, that's all.)**

 **A huge thank you as always to all you kind people who leave reviews! I can't thank you enough for the support, it means the world :D**

 **(Also enjoy the fluff while you can, because guess what's coming next chapter, ahahaHA)**

* * *

"You know we're both ninja, right?"

"I had no idea."

"We can _hear_ , too, so blindfolds are kinda useless overall-"

"Just hush up and walk, okay?" Nya says, swatting Jay lightly on the back. "At least try to pretend you don't know what's going on."

"I'm starting to second-guess myself," Lloyd admits, eyebrows furrowing as he tries to adjust his own blindfold, only to have his hand smacked away by Kai. "You've taken us down three different alleyways now, isn't this kinda overkill?"

" _I_ think so," Cole grumbles, having lost half his spirit around the second block they circled.

"You asked for the most confusing route possible, and I gave it to you," Zane says, sounding slightly put-out.

" _Thank_ you, Zane, at least somebody's in the spirit of surprises," Nya says, pointedly. Cole gives an indignant _hmph_ , but he sighs, adjusting his expression.

"There's gonna be food at this, right?" Jay says, as Nya pushes them down another street. "'Cause I dunno about you guys, but I'm starving."

"As long as it's not hospital food, I'll be happy," Lloyd says, fervently. "I just want _real_ food."

"Right?" Jay sighs, mournfully. "My taste buds have shriveled up and died, it's been so long-"

"Alright, drama queens, we're here," Kai rolls his eyes, tugging Lloyd's sleeve to get him to stop. Nya gives Cole a significant glance, and he carefully steps up to the doors. Zane gives her a thumbs-up. The two blindfolded ninja pause, Jay's forehead scrunching up, Lloyd frowning.

"Are we at Laughy's?" Lloyd asks.

Nya swears. Cole groans, knocking his head against the doors as Kai dissolves into snickers.

"I _told_ you," he shakes his head.

"Fine, fine, we all learned our lesson," Nya mutters. "Just get in there already."

Lloyd and Jay tug their blindfolds off, blinking as their eyes adjust to the light before exchanging grins.

"I told you," Jay says, as Cole shoves the doors open, letting them into the darkened restaurant. "You can't surprise a ninj-"

" _Surprise!_ "

Jay jumps back, emitting what sounds like a high-pitched cross between a shriek and a gasp, and Lloyd nearly trips backwards over Kai. Fortunately for all those present, neither of them decide to react on the offensive and electrocute them all or zap them with unholy green energy, which in hindsight, is a reaction they all _really_ should have considered.

They probably owe their lives to Karlof, if anyone.

"Congratulations, friends!" Karlof immediately booms, striding up to them, and Lloyd and Jay's expressions split into identical smiles of relief as they recognize the mix of people crowded into the bar.

"Hey!" Jay exclaims. "We weren't being lead to our deaths after all!"

Cole swats Jay as everyone bursts into laughter.

Despite Pixal's expressed doubts, it appears as if Ronin and Dareth have come through — above and beyond, actually, Nya realizes as she cranes her head, looking at the crowd. Not only have they managed to get all their parents in one place, but Nya can spot almost every elemental master as well, everyone in their ragtag resistance, looking infinitely happier and more as ease than the last time they'd been together.

The restaurant itself looks good, too, though Nya's gonna bet the credit for that one goes to Pixal. The tables and floors have been scrubbed clean, any signs of the recent destruction nonexistent. She can spot the generic Christmas greenery lining the windows and tables, tiny Christmas lights winking where they're draped around the edge of the bar. They've also managed to rig up the lighting system so the overhead lamps strobe pleasant greens and blues, with an occasional hint of red for holiday feeling.

There's not a trace of purple in sight, and Nya can't help but be thankful for that. They've seen enough glowing purple to last them a life time.

She feels someone's gaze on her as she finishes her wide-eyed survey of the room, and she turns her head. Ronin gives her a simple smirk, and Nya can't help but smile brightly back.

It's not like she _didn't_ think he'd come through.

"Okay, okay, let them breathe!" Skylor's voice rings out across the commotion, and Kai's face lights up. Skylor gives him a quick wink before turning her attention to Lloyd and Jay. "So, what's the verdict?"

Lloyd beams, holding up his bracelet-free wrist. "Clean bill of health," he announces. "We're home free!"

" _Mostly_ free," Cole interjects. "You've both got meds you have to take daily, and if you try to skip out on the next check-up you're under arrest again-"

"We are _celebrating_ our _freedom_ , and that's what matters for now," Jay cuts over him, emphatically.

"Hear, hear!"

Dareth takes that as his cue to crank up the music, and the ninja are soon lost in the crowd of people, swarmed by bright-smiling reunions and laughter. Jay is quickly drowned beneath his parents' embraces, looking utterly bemused at the fact that he's got _three_ of them now, and they're all getting along. Lloyd shrugs his way out of his own mother's embrace to dart over to Chamille, who — okay, Nya might need to keep an eye on that one, they're already muttering about rematches as they head for the pool table.

On the other side of the room, Kai makes a beeline for Skylor, finally shoving his way through the crowded restaurant to her.

"Hi," he says, a little breathlessly as he leans across the bar table.

"Hi," Skylor grins, leaning over the table to meet him. "Nice of you to show up."

Kai shrugs. "Nya wanted to take an extra loop around the block. I told her we needed to hurry, or all the potstickers would be gone." He scowls over at the food table, where Cole's having an animated debate with Pixal over the butter cookies. "Bet Dareth ate 'em all."

"Well, lucky for you," Skylor says, reaching beneath the bar counter. "You've got an in with the chef."

Kai's eyes light up as Skylor places the small plate in front of him. "You're the _best_ , Sky," he declares fervently, through a mouthful of potsticker. "This is why I love you."

Skylor's eyebrows shoot up, and the slightest flare of pink colors her cheeks. "Oh, so you…love me, huh?" she says, her voice half-teasing, half-uncertainty.

Kai pauses mid-bite, mentally replaying his last sentence in his head — then abruptly turns scarlet.

"Wai- I don't — wait! No, I mean, I don't _don't_ love you, I — um, that is to say, that I…like you, a lot, in a way that some sappier people could like, _maybe_ call love, if they were asked-"

Skylor gives a quiet giggle, then leans over the bar to kiss him gently. Kai promptly shuts up, his own eyes going briefly wide before he relaxes, becoming an active participant.

Skylor finally pulls away, still smiling. "I don't don't love you too, you know."

Kai blinks rapidly, then breaks into a bright smile. "Oh! That's - that's good. Nice. Great-!"

Skylor shakes her head, stifling laughter. "Okay, dork, stop before you hurt yourself."

"Mm-hm," Kai nods, stuffing another potsticker in his mouth in lieu of answering. He glances over across the restaurant, watching the others mill about. "So, you stuck serving drinks all night?" he asks, changing the subject.

"Nope," Skylor says, with a flicker of relief. "Ronin's running the bar for me tonight. Said I needed a holiday, too."

"Not gonna argue with that one," Kai says, wincing as he leans across the bar again, rolling his shoulders once. "Do they keep you chained to the shop, or something?"

"No, it's just been really busy, holiday hours and stuff," Skylor shrugs. Her expression falls, and she bites her lip. "I'm really sorry I didn't make it in to the hospital. I know it must have been hard, and I wanted to be there for you, but…"

She trails off, looking down.

"Hey, it's okay," Kai says, tapping the back of her hand. She looks up at him, and he flashes her a smile. "You did more than enough for us in the fight. And I get it. We weren't exactly _not_ crazy busy ourselves."

"Well yeah, but…" Skylor sighs, meeting his eyes. "You're...you're doing okay, though?"

Kai bites the inside of his cheek, looking back over the restaurant, his eyes finding Jay, then Lloyd. "Yeah," he says, exhaling. "Yeah, I'm getting there."

"Good," Skylor says, squeezing his hand. "Well...if you ever wanna talk about it?"

"I'll let you know," Kai says, returning the gesture. His expression eases, something more resembling his normal cocky exterior taking over. "But this is a party, and that'd kinda kill my vibe right now, you know?"

Skylor rolls her eyes. "Oh yes, your _vibe_."

"Someone's gotta set the mood," Kai grins. "Speaking of, you wanna go trash the others in pool?"

"Actually, I was gonna ask you if you wanted to hijack Ronin's iPod and see how long it takes people to realize it's just playing like, endless ABBA or something."

Kai blinks. "That works, too," he says, slowly grinning.

"Then let's go, vibe man," Skylor grins back, tugging him behind the bar with her.

"And by the way, after this? You need to get some sleep," she tells him, as they duck behind the bar table. "You're _so_ off your game it's hilarious."

"I am not off my game," Kai says, offended. "I'm never off my game. I'm an never-ending fountain of smoothness."

Skylor turns to look at him, raising an eyebrow. " _I-I, um, I love you_ , _Sky_ ," she says, pitching her voice lower in a poor mimicry of his own.

Kai throws a Christmas-themed napkin in her face, scowling. "Whatever, you were blushing too," he mutters.

Skylor just snickers.

* * *

"I'm just _saying_ , if you zoom in right there, you can clearly see that I blasted him first."

"Yeah, still not seein' it, lightning," Griffin frowns, squinting at Jay's phone. "I'm givin' this one to Cole."

"Ha," Cole smirks, leaning back against a table as he sips smugly at his drink. "Eat dirt, bluejay."

Jay's expression scrunches up in outrage. "That was clearly mine! S'not my fault you can't see straight, zippy boy-"

" _Zippy_ _boy_ -?!"

"Why is this even that important to you, again?" Tox eyes them slowly, sifting her own drink around.

"It's a carefully constructed contest deciding which of us is superior," Jay says, eyes narrowed.

"…by seeing which of you hit the most Oni in the news coverage," Tox deadpans.

Both Cole and Jay nod. "Media exposure is important," Jay tells her.

"I just want live proof I beat him," Cole says. "So he can't keep making stuff up."

"Wow," Tox mutters, as Griffin snickers.

"You guys have changed _zero_ percent since the tournament," he tells them, adjusting his shades. "Good to know the Oni can't kill the bickering."

"Oh I can assure you, it's only gotten worse," Zane announces over Cole and Jay's sputters as he joins them, Pixal close beside him.

"It's all we ever hear," Pixal adds, with an eye-roll.

"Oh, like we've _never_ woken up to you yelling at Kai over Mario Kart at two in the morning," Cole snarks. Pixal shoots him a dirty look.

"And who's this?" Tox nods to Echo, who's standing behind Zane and looking rather shy. "New ninja recruit?"

"This is Echo," Zane says, stepping aside and giving his brother a reassuring smile. "He's, ah, he's my brother."

Echo beams, and Tox and Griffin blink.

"Hey, cool man," Griffin speaks up first, offering his hand out. "I'm Griffin Turner. Master of speed, and by _far_ the coolest master around."

Jay and Cole make identical faces, and Tox rolls her eyes, taking a long sip of her drink.

"It is nice to meet you," Echo says. He pauses, studying him. "And I…see. I can tell by the hair gel. I suppose you get in many fights with Kai, then?"

Tox chokes on her drink, and the others break out in snickers as Griffin sputters.

"I am _not_ like that hothead, whatever he's said-"

"Yeah, just giving him more ammo, Griffin," Tox says, elbowing over to Echo. "So what's your story?"

Jay pats Griffin sympathetically on the shoulder as Pixal and Zane turn their attention to Tox and Echo, clearly otherwise interested. "Don't worry. I, personally, think Kai's a huge dork," he tells him.

"Thanks," Griffin snorts. "But I still say that hit was Cole's."

"Oh, for the love of-" Jay throws his hands up as Cole laughs, fist-bumping Griffin as he heads for Shade.

"Suck it up, zaptrap," Cole tells him. "The majority's spoken."

"Majority my foot," Jay mutters into his drink. "Where's Nya? She'd take my side."

Nya is, in fact, across the room, having finally snapped and intervened in Lloyd and Chamille's pool match, which ended up being less of a tabletop game and more of a duel to the death with the pool sticks.

"Getting yourself stabbed in the eye with a pool stick is not on the list of things allowed," she grumbles, tugging Lloyd away as he makes narrow-eyed gestures at Chamille.

"We were just hanging out," he says, turning back to her. "She didn't make it to the resistance, so we had some catching up to do."

"Constantly trying to _murder_ each other doesn't count as hanging out," Nya huffs.

"For _some_ people, it's your only option," Lloyd mutters, looking away. Nya's retort dies on her lips, and her stomach sinks a bit as she gets the feeling he's not talking about Chamille anymore. She's gearing herself up for an emotionally-tactful-yet-lighthearted response, when they smack into Karlof, who immediately snatches Lloyd from her into a crushing embrace.

"- _stitches_ , Karlof, watch his stitches!" Nya yelps.

" _Hngh_ — I'm good, don't worry," Lloyd gasps as Karlof releases him, looking chastised.

"Apologies, little friend," Karlof says, patting him on the shoulder instead.

Lloyd grins at him, massaging his chest. "It's all good," he says. "I'm pretty much all healed up, so — wait, _little_ friend?"

"It's good to see you, Karlof," Nya smiles, cutting over Lloyd's indignant sputter. "Thanks for coming. It's really nice to see everyone in…happier circumstances."

"Ah, resistance was not so bad," Karlof waves her off. "We make it through alive. And you got powers back, no?" Karlof directs at Lloyd.

Lloyd nods. "Yeah, not that I've been able to _do_ much with them lately," he sulks. "I've been trapped in the hospital for ages."

"Then we'll have to have rematch soon, eh?" Karlof grins. "I can fight you instead of brown ninja this time."

"Oh yeah," Lloyd says, brightening. "Hey, let's go right now!"

"Ha!" Karlof gives a burst of loud laughter. "Big brother already talk to Karlof. Nice try."

"Aw, man," Lloyd grumbles. He gives Kai the stink-eye as he passes, snickering with his head bent toward Skylor's. Kai just smiles back at him, all teeth, before he hurries to catch up with Skylor.

Nya rolls her eyes, and tugs Lloyd over to the bar table. Ronin flashes them a grin as they walk up, shuffling drink glasses in front of him as he pours something very likely alcoholic in them.

"Well, if it isn't my resistance kids," he says. "Enjoying your party?"

"Yeah," Nya says, crossing her arms over the counter. "Hey, didn't my dad ban alcohol?" She wrinkles her nose at the obvious smell emanating from the bottle he's holding.

Ronin shrugs. "You banned green machine here," he says, nodding at Lloyd. "Didn't hear anything about me not being able to enjoy myself."

Lloyd makes a face. "Seriously? This is a party for _me_ , and I'm the only one banned?"

"From _alcohol_ , like the rest of us," Nya stresses. "There's this thing called being underage, you know."

"Yeah, like we've _totally_ obeyed all those laws," Lloyd mutters. Nya spears him with a look.

"Tell you what," Ronin says, tapping a shot glass absently. "I've got one 'a those girly drinks, real low alcohol content. Wine cooler sort of thing, you know? How about you let the kid have one, just for kicks."

Nya looks at Lloyd, narrowing her eyes.

"C'mon," Ronin says. "Think of it as the resistance celebration we never got to have, shots for the leaders. Could've used a stiff drink then."

Lloyd looks back at Nya, questioning.

"Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt, just this once," Nya sighs. "It's not like any of us have been stellar examples of lawfulness, anyways."

Both Lloyd and Nya shrug, and they grab for the shot glasses on the table in unison. Ronin's eyes go wide. "Wait- not those, they're for-"

His warning comes too late. Lloyd and Nya have already downed the shots - and abruptly dissolve into identical wheezing. Nya immediately spits her mouthful out, sputtering, while Lloyd makes a choking sound, clutching at his throat.

"-me and Dareth," Ronin finishes, weakly.

Lloyd makes a gagging noise, sounding like he's trying to hack a lung up.

"What is this, _poison?_ " Nya coughs, grabbing Jay's drink as he passes and frantically gulping it down.

"Tastes like acid," Lloyd manages, snatching the drink when Nya offers it to him.

Jay stares at the both of them, as if he can't decide whether to laugh at their expressions or be offended that they're drinking all his soda. Ronin breathes out a weak laugh, shaking his head. "- _would_ go for those, wouldn't you, you don't even wanna know what you just drank-"

"Someone gave you _alcohol?!_ "

Ronin and Nya's heads snap up at Kai's enraged exclamation. Fortunately for Ronin, he isn't paying much attention to anyone else, too busy shaking Lloyd by the shoulders and looking incensed. Lloyd takes the opportunity to snatch Kai's own drink, steadily gulping at it.

"I'm gonna…see if anyone over there needs a drink," Ronin says quickly, making his escape. Nya pats his shoulder as he goes, nodding even as she sticks her tongue out, making a face at the aftertaste.

" _So_ not the good kind of alcohol," she mutters.

"-chill out, just an accident," Lloyd finally manages to tell Kai, looking semi-recovered now that he's downed two glasses of soda.

"I'm sure it was," Kai scowls, taking a seat at the barstool next to him. "Midget _punk_ , getting into trouble all over the place lately."

Lloyd glares. "If this is about-"

"I still can't _believe_ you ran off with some - some random girl!" Kai bursts out.

"I can't believe you sic'ed your dad on me," Lloyd shoots back. "And he ratted me out! Traitor."

"For good reason," Nya jumps in. "We leave you alone for five minutes and you decide to play chicken with destiny again?"

"She wasn't like… _her_ ," Lloyd mutters, looking away. "She had dogs."

"Oh, so that automatically equals trustworthy."

"She didn't kill me, and I came back fine, okay?" Lloyd snaps. He sighs, slumping over the counter. "It doesn't matter, anyways. Uncle Wu's already ruined my life."

"Lloyd," Nya says, rubbing her hands against her temples. "I love you, but we really need to work on your priorities."

"My priorities are fine!"

" _Apparently_ all an enemy would need to do is stick a cat in a cage, and you'd walk right into it!" Kai accuses. "I mean, come on, Lloyd-"

"Aw, leave him alone," Skylor interrupts. "I like a cute cat myself, too."

Lloyd throws his arms out. "See?" he exclaims. " _Thank_ you."

"Wait, you're taking _Lloyd's_ side?" Kai says, wounded.

Skylor shrugs. "Sorry, Kai. Lloyd carried me halfway across Ninjago city from a giant stone titan," she says. "I owe him one."

Lloyd gives her a wry smile. "You don't owe me anything for that. It was more than worth it." His expression turns a bit guilty. "Plus it was kinda my fault, in the first place…"

"I would've carried you from a stone titan," Kai mutters.

"But you didn't," Skylor says. "You all went on vacation and abandoned us."

" _Vacation-?_!"

"We were stranded in a hellish wasteland!" Jay cuts in, leaning over and looking scandalized.

" _We_ were stuck in a war-torn dictatorship, running for our lives twenty-four seven," Nya shoots back. "The First Realm sounds _great_."

"At least you guys had proper food," Cole bemoans. "We had it way worse there."

"Yeah, if by proper food you mean noodles for weeks straight-"

"Noodles sound _great_ , just wait until you try the First Realm's sorry excuse for cake-"

"You _would_ worry about the cake, wouldn't you-"

"See," Pixal tells Echo, as they watch the ninja dissolve into bickering, having lost Zane to the debate as soon as they walked up. "I told you. They're all hopeless."

"I think it's funny," Echo grins.

Cole suddenly pauses, frowning. "Hey, is this the fifth ABBA song they've played in a row?"

Zane blinks, his eyes narrowing. "It's the sixth, actually."

"And _Ronin's_ the DJ?" Nya says, looking baffled. "This is a weird music choice for him…"

Kai and Skylor exchange gleeful looks.

Jay, in contrast, seems to have no issue with the music at all.

"Cole, Cole, it's our _song!_ " He jumps up from his seat, grabbing Cole by the arm and yanking. "C'mon, you gotta do that dance-"

"Wait, wait, no!" Cole yelps, as he's dragged forward to the center of the floor. "Not in front of people, Jay!" he hisses, turning bright red.

"Nuh-uh, dirtclod, its _my_ party, you're dancing," Jay declares.

"Yeah, dancing queen, show 'em how it's done!" Kai calls after them, grinning.

Nya looks at Skylor, and they both shake their heads. "Alright, come on," Nya sighs, grabbing Zane and Pixal by the arm. "We can't let them humiliate themselves alone."

"Wha- no!"

"Nope, no protests, let's go!" Skylor says, snagging Kai and Lloyd before they can bail. "We're all going down together."

"No, Skylor, I can't dance-"

"Well you're _going_ to, buddy."

Echo appears infinitely confused as Pixal latches onto him, dragging him along and looking slightly panicked. "Wait, _what_ are we doing?"

* * *

"It's hard to believe that those are your same hand-selected, prize students," Misako remarks, leaning forward on her elbows as she watches the ninja on the makeshift dance floor.

Across the table from her, Wu sighs, running a hand over his face. "They are…considerably less graceful in this setting than they are in training," he mutters.

Misako laughs quietly. "Well, they're certainly having fun," she says. "That's what matters."

Wu's expression eases, and he smiles a bit. "I can't deny, they've earned it."

They both turn, watching as Cole sacrifices whatever was left of his dignity to help recreate a dance scene Misako's fairly sure she's seen in one of those romantic comedies the ninja watch when they think everyone else is asleep.

"Lloyd looks much better," she says, her voice softening. "They all do."

Wu exhales. "They're good for each other," he says. His expression tightens. "I do wish Lloyd would stop lying to me, though," he admits. "If he truly doesn't wish to visit his father, I would understand."

There's a beat of silence, the pulsing music seemingly louder in the absence of their conversation.

"He's not lying," Misako murmurs.

Wu blinks. "He isn't?"

Misako shakes her head. "He went to see him yesterday," she says, quietly. "Before they signed him out. Nobody else noticed, he was…rather quiet about it."

"...I had no idea," Wu finally says. "I would have gone with him, had I known."

"I think he wanted to go by himself," Misako says. "Besides, he's quite good at sneaking around us, when he wants to be. I doubt you would've caught him."

She turns her head back to the makeshift dance floor, her eyes following her son as he bursts into loud, bright laughter at something Kai's said. "He's a good kid," she finally says, her gaze almost wistful.

"They all are," Wu says, turning his own eyes to his students. Something in his chest eases, a sort of knot unraveling. "It's good to see them this happy."

Misako looks down at her drink, watching the moisture gather at the bottom of her glass, leaving a shiny semi-circle on the table.

"I wish it would last," Wu continues, his voice almost a murmur.

Misako's lips tighten, her gaze falling back on her son. "Don't we always," she sighs. She shakes her head, pulling herself together.

"But we have to appreciate what we have now," she says, firmly. "Or we'll miss it."

Wu looks at her, his gaze heavy. Misako doesn't return it, her eyes still on Lloyd.

"You're right, I suppose," he says evenly, turning his attention back to his students. "Better to enjoy the moment."


	15. Chapter 15

*** _thinks back to how I said this fic was mostly gonna be fluff_ * ...um, oops?**

 **Listen there's just a _lot_ that goes down in SOG and Hunted that I can't believe Lloyd would just shrug off, okay? And if I wanna have the fluff I have to work through all the bad stuff first so T-T. I promise this is the worst chapter there is though, and there will be resolution! Eventually. After...after a little more angst.**

 **Also season 10 is finished and it has! Successfully shot this fic into the AU realm for good, but personally I feel like they left a few... _things_ , or two, unresolved, so the original point of writing this fic still stands. I _did_ have this fic planned out well before season 10 aired, and that includes this chapter especially, so it's not exactly gonna fall in line with what we saw of the Oni in season 10, but it's...kinda close? Ish? Big scary big bads, that's pretty much unchanged XD Lots of flashbacks in this chapter, btw! Here's some explanation, finally. **

**Big thanks as always to everyone who reviewed! You guys are all wonderful and beautiful and I love you all, and I'm _so_ behind on replies for everything but I'm gonna get there soon :')**

 **(hnskghdf this is almost 6k words what happened to my resolve-)**

* * *

 _"_ _Y'know, when you said you wanted us to take a vacation-" Kai pauses, grunting as he ducks a dark bolt of purple, before sending his own fiery blast right back. "This wasn't really what I had in mind."_

 _Lloyd gives a strangled laugh, wiping at the sweat that's dripping down in his eyes. It's already soaked through the upper part of his hood, and the urge to rip it off is steadily growing stronger every increasing second of this fight._

 _"_ _Fine," he says, reversing his katana and shoving it back, neatly catching the dark shadow that was about to grab him. "Next time, you can plan it."_

 _"_ _Don't let Kai plan it, that's a terrible idea!" Jay calls to them from across the chaotic battlefield, where he's channeling sporadic bursts of lightning into any Oni that gets to close._

 _"_ _Why don't we take a vote?" Zane suggests, eyes flashing as he slashes through an Oni that was aiming at the Samurai X mech where it darts about the sky. "Decide as a consensus what to do."_

 _"_ _What do you think this is, a democracy?" Cole says, his voice strained as he grapples with an Oni, trying to reclaim ground. "Lloyd picks, he's leader."_

 _"_ _So we're a tyranny now?"_

 _Lloyd rolls his eyes, building an orb of energy before sending it flying, knocking an Oni off its feet before it can take a swing at Zane. Zane's expression flashes briefly in thanks, and Lloyd is about to nod back when Kai crashes into him, yanking him to the side. A half second later, a jagged sword crunches down in the dirt where he was standing, and the Oni gives a frustrated growl of fury._

 _Lloyd backs up, pulling his own sword up in defense. "Thanks," he gasps._

 _"_ _Gotta watch your back better," Kai replies tightly, and a burst of flames erupts between them and the Oni, sending it stumbling back with a howl._

 _Lloyd grins wearily at him. "That's what I've got you for, right?"_

 _A cry of rage echoes across the battlefield before Kai can reply, and the smile slides off his face as the dark cloud above them stretches larger, purple lightning flashing as tendrils of darkness writhe around it._

 _Lloyd swallows. This isn't even close to over._

* * *

"So, uh…you look a lot better than the last time I saw you, at least?"

There's no response but the steady, quiet beeping of the hospital machines, the muted howling from the freezing wind outside.

It's not like Lloyd was really expecting much, though.

He bites his lip, fingers digging into the edges of the seat he's in. His words hang heavy in the silence, almost as if mocking him for how awkward they feel. (Unsure, as he always is, with one parent or the other.)

He clears his throat, speaking up again. "I mean, I probably look a lot better too, 'cause last I saw you, I was kinda…well, you know. Ouch, haha."

Lloyd cringes, fighting the urge to flee the room. He _hates_ this. He doesn't want to be here. He doesn't _want_ to sit here and look at his father lying in the bed like he's dead, all pale and hooked up to monitors. He doesn't _want_ to stare too long at his face, and start trying to pick out the similarities between his father's human face and his Oni one. He doesn't _want_ to think about the last things he heard coming out of his father's mouth to him, doesn't _want_ to think about how he pretty much rejected Lloyd as a son anyways, and could probably care less that he's awkwardly trying to talk to his unconscious self like this-

The hospital lights flicker, and Lloyd buries his face in his hands, elbows propped up on his knees as he tries to steady his breathing. The hospital is the last place on _earth_ he needs his powers to freak out in.

He's here for Nya, he firmly tells himself. He's _only_ here because she kept suggesting it. And maybe because his mom looked really sad when she mentioned it the other day.

….he can't go and make himself a _complete_ liar, that's all.

Lloyd exhales, dully kicking a leg off the side of the hospital chair, the other knee pulled up to his chest. He looks out the window again, down at the snow-filled streets. He can just spot several kids running through the snow, brightly-colored hats and scarves flapping as they tug a sled between them, headed for the park.

Lloyd will be out there soon, he reminds himself. Tomorrow he's getting released, and he won't have to go to sleep to the sound of monitors again, won't have to watch the worried expressions on everyone's faces, won't have to keep coming up with excuses for why he only walks one way down the hall. Just one more day. And then Lloyd's _never_ coming back.

Well…

Lloyd bites his lip. He _will_ miss the kids, Suyin and Cole's little ballet school. He'll miss Jin, with his easy humor. He might even miss Tamara, who knows. And he'll….

Lloyd finds his gaze drawn against his will back to the hospital bed. Something in his chest twists, pulling and aching like it always does when he miss- when he misses-

There's a clattering sound from the hallway outside, and Lloyd's head snaps up, his power seconds from bursting into light in his hands. He blinks, abruptly realizing that it's just a nurse who dropped her clipboard. She frowns as she picks it up, then shrugs, striding back down the hall.

Lloyd lowers his hands, cheeks heating slightly as he sinks back into the chair. _Geez_ , he's on edge. He has to stop anticipating that every unknown sound is gonna kill him _one_ of these days. He pulls absently at his hospital bracelet, twisting it back and forth around his wrist in a nervous sort of gesture. He watches the little black letters that spell out his name distort as the bracelet does, wrinkling back and forth. _Garmadon, Lloyd M._

Lloyd mouth tightens, and he twists the bracelet again, further distorting the letters. _Garmadon, Lloyd M._ He doesn't know why it's annoying him, that his dad's name is before his. It's just the standard. Last names are more important. And besides, _Lloyd_ isn't much without _Garmadon_ tacked on the end of it, is he?

Lloyd sighs, finally letting the bracelet fall loose, the skin beneath it slightly red and irritated.

Garmadon's always gonna come first, isn't it.

Lloyd sucks in a breath, and pushes himself to his feet. _Enough_. He's been here for what, five minutes? That's long enough. It's not like Lloyd's doing anything useful here, anyways. Heck, his voice is probably more annoying to his father than anything. Now that it's changed along with the rest of him, and his dad apparently _hates_ that-

Lloyd swallows, his hand lingering on the doorknob as he falters. His head turns, and he glances back to the bed - back to his father. His eyes flick to the monitor, watching the monotonous, beeping lines, before matching the sound with the steady rise and fall of his father's chest.

"I'll be back," Lloyd breathes, before he can change his mind. "Promise."

And then he shoves himself from the room, before his heart can try and convince him to toss it right back out where it can get crushed again.

* * *

 _"_ _Too close! Too close!"_

 _Lloyd's head whips around, and his heart skips a beat in relief as he catches sight of Cole, unharmed save for a small trickle of blood from his forehead. Zane quickly steps up to cover his brief falter, a thick wall of ice forming between them and the Oni as Jay vaults over it, lightning sparking from his palms before he crashes them into the earth, tearing rock and stone up as the electricity pulses toward the Oni, sending them flying back._

 _"_ _Nice one Jay!" Lloyd calls, before ducking another purple blast._

 _"_ _It was mediocre at best."_

 _Lloyd grits his teeth, eyes narrowing at the dark shape that looms beside him, reminding himself again that his father's purple glow is one that won't hurt him today. Garmadon makes a scoffing sound in his throat, red eyes glowing darker._

 _"_ _You and your little friends will need to do better than mere party tricks if we want to win," he continues, voice derisive as he builds a humming orb of energy in his hands._

 _"_ _I'd like to see you do better," Lloyd mutters venomously, sending a bright green orb of his own hurtling toward an Oni creeping up behind Nya. She gives him a brief flash of a smile in thanks, before stepping up near Kai and thrusting her spear forward._

 _"_ _Oh, you won't have to wait long." Garmadon gives a savage grin, four arms outstretched as a familiar glow engulfs them, one Lloyd recognizes as having seen during their more recent fight on Borg Tower._

 _"_ _I don't intend on waiting for you to be useful," Garmadon clips, teeth flashing. "Stand back."_

 _He shoves Lloyd aside like he's a discarded paper bag, surprise sending Lloyd stumbling briefly back. He quickly recovers, turning a hot glare at his father's back as he strides forward, elemental blades glowing purple as he hacks through the Oni in his path with a savage glee._

 _Jerk._

* * *

Like the first time, Lloyd makes sure he's unnoticed as he slips into his father's hospital room, having carefully timed it so he's here while the others are all busy with outings. It's less of a victory this time — he misses the confidence that comes with having his family by his side, the familiar courage born just from knowing someone's here with him. And yeah, maybe it _would_ be better if he brought one of the others with him - to have someone else to fill the lonely room, another voice to cut the silence, to ease the awkward, heavy atmosphere, but…

Lloyd is sick and tired of people worrying over him. He's sick and tired of being the reason Kai has such dark circles beneath his eyes, the reason Nya's eyebrows are always pinched in worry, the reason Cole puts off time he could've been spending with his dad, the reason Jay stays in the hospital longer than he needs to, the reason Zane cuts his date short with Pixal, he's sick and tired of being the stupid _burden_ of a little brother in this family. Garmadon is _his_ dad, and this is _his_ screwed-up, broken mess of a family to deal with. The others have been dragged into the _Daily-Garmadon-Family-Drama_ enough as it is. Lloyd can handle it alone this time.

He _has_ to.

Besides, it also feels like he's baring his soul just being in the room, and Lloyd's kinda getting tired of being this emotionally vulnerable all the time.

(…really, _really_ tired.)

So he makes up some brilliant excuse about needing to go gift shopping, takes three roundabout ways and the shortcut Rachel showed him to throw anyone off, and sneaks his way back into the hospital. It's the last place anyone would expect him to go, anyways, so Lloyd doesn't worry that much. The only one who knows he's even here is Jin, and that's because he'll fix Lloyd up with a pass without asking any worried questions. He'd had a look in his eyes that felt a little too close to understanding when Lloyd had asked.

After that it's a simple matter of slipping quietly up to the fourth floor and finding his dad's room, and tada! Lloyd's made it somewhere with absolutely nobody on his tail — he even checked for Kai and Nya's dad this time, too.

Unfortunately, this leaves Lloyd in a quiet hospital room with his dad again, and, _again_ , Lloyd has no idea what to say.

He takes a breath, forcing himself to look at his father. He quickly looks away, pressing his lips together tightly. _Suck it up_ , he tells himself. _It's just your father. Your real father. There's nothing to worry about now._

"I-I…" Lloyd opens his mouth, then closes it, biting his tongue in frustration. His sentences just don't want to _work_. Words stick in his mouth like saltwater taffy that's gone bad, thick and cloying and impossible to form anything coherent out of. He swallows, digging his fingers into the fabric of his pant leg, trying to sort out what he wants to say.

…nothing. The one time his father actually _has_ to listen to him, and Lloyd can't get a single word out.

He looks down, scuffing his feet against the pristinely white floor. It hurts, a little ( _a lot_ ), because he never used to feel awkward around his dad. Back after the first battle with the Overlord, when his dad was a sensei, when he was still Lloyd's _dad_ — conversation was easy and comfortable, the kind of relationship Lloyd had always dreamed of having with a parent, if one actually stuck around. He could tell his dad anything, from the big worries to the smallest nightmares, the things he'd seen with the others on their missions to his favorite part of the _Starfarer_ episode he'd forced them all to watch the other night. And his dad would _listen_ , no matter how dumb or trivial the thing Lloyd was telling him about was, and he just — he'd _cared_.

Something thick settles its way in Lloyd's throat, and he tries to swallow it down, ignoring the heavy ache threatening to sink his heart. That's not who his dad is anymore, he reminds himself. Garmadon is — well, he _was_ — he didn't even _want_ to be his father, he-

"Did you really call her your daughter?"

The words are out before Lloyd can stop them, and he immediately curses himself. Of all the things on _earth_ he could come up with to talk about, he's going with _this?_ He's trying to avoid those memories at all costs, he can't just keep bringing them back up if he wants to-

"S-she told me, when we captured her." And he's just gonna keep going, huh? Fine, whatever, it's not like it can hurt any _worse_ at this point.

"I mean, she lied to me about pretty much everything else, so I don't really — I didn't want to believe her," Lloyd continues, the words rushing out like he's ripped a scab off a wound, and now there's nothing left to hold it together. "But the look she had on — and when she fell, you were — I _heard_ you, and-"

Lloyd swallows, fingernails biting into his palms. "Why?" he mumbles. "Why'd you want her? What was so much _better_ about her that you-"

Lloyd's voice cracks in the middle, cutting off before it threatens to turn into something worse. _Just shut up already_ , he angrily tells himself. He's gotta get the lines clear in his head again. That Garmadon wasn't his father, wasn't his true self. He was just a hollow shell, and Oni-born husk of the person Lloyd loved. And _nothing_ Harumi had said, none of the doubts she'd slowly but surely worn into his mind, are gonna change that.

They _aren't,_ he repeats to himself fiercely. Even if...

"…you got so angry when she fell," he murmurs. "Like I've never seen you. _Never_ seen you." Mercifully, Lloyd's mouth doesn't make him finish that sentence.

 _Like I never saw you get for me._

Lloyd lets a shuddery breath out. This was a mistake. Visiting his father, talking about this — there's a _reason_ Lloyd's barely talked about what happened with Harumi, why he avoids it at all costs possible. It just won't end well. Not for him, not for whatever poor person's stuck listening to him, and certainly not for the tattered shreds of whatever's left of his and his father's relationship.

He pushes himself from the seat, trudging wearily toward the door. He pauses again in the doorway, blowing a breath out. "I'll…I'll be back," he tells his father once again, quietly. "I promise."

Lloyd might be a dumb _coward_ , but he doesn't abandon his family. No matter how broken they are.

* * *

 _The sky flashes again, and Lloyd bites back a groan as another blanket of fog descends, swirling black and purple._

 _"_ _More incoming!" he hollers, hurling his sword through a nearby Oni. It shrieks, exploding into a dark cloud of smoke, and Lloyd snatches his sword up before it clatters to the ground, sprinting forward. "Pull back! We need a better position!"_

 _"_ _Where?" Kai grunts, barely ducking a blast of purple. "They're coming in from behind us too, and this stupid fog-"_

 _"_ _We can take higher ground," Nya snaps, water flashing around her spear and she whirls it in a deadly arc. "If we have a higher vantage point, it'll be easier to pick them off. They've pretty much got us in a barrel here."_

 _Lloyd opens his mouth to reply to her, when-_

 _"_ _Cole look out-!"_

 _Lloyd's heart seizes, and he spins around to look for Cole, dreading what he'll see. He has a split second to intake the scene, and his heart quickly seizes again in a different kind of terror._

 _Cole's on the ground, eyes wide in confusion but otherwise unharmed. But he's on the ground because he was pushed, and the Oni standing over him has found another target —_

 _Lloyd has only a split second, and it's not enough to stop the Oni from sending Jay flying, smashing through the remains of a building wall with a gut-wrenching crack._

 _"_ _Jay!"_

 _Nya's scream cuts across the battlefield, and Cole's expression dissolves into horror even as several gleaming shards of ice slice through the Oni beside him. He pushes himself up, eyes only for Jay, who's-_

 _Don't be dead, please don't be dead, please not Jay-_

 _Lloyd's heart beats a steady tempo of terror in his head as he brings a globe of green up, building it into a blasting assault even as every ounce of him screams to run to Jay. He barely registers Kai stepping up beside him, dark orange flames joining his green bursts of energy as they put up a defense, a makeshift wall of deadly force. Lloyd listens in desperation to the voices behind them._

 _"_ _Jay no, please, no, Jay-"_

 _"_ _He's breathing, Nya, he's alive, just — you gotta put pressure on it, we gotta — Zane! Help us!"_

 _Zane streaks past Lloyd, and he distantly hears Cole rejoining the battle. Lloyd swallows, wiping sweat from his eyes again. Their numbers are dwindling, but the Oni's — they're just getting bigger._

* * *

The third time Lloyd goes to visit his father, he doesn't even mean to. It's only been a day or two since the party, and he's just finished one of his Cole-enforced checkups, power-walking by the room as fast as he can when he spots his mother through the window, her eyes closed and her head awkwardly bent against the little sofa. Lloyd hesitates for a beat, before quietly opening the door, tip-toeing across the room. He gently pulls his mom's head back, internally debating whether or not he can move her to a better position without-

"Lloyd?"

 _Rats_. "Uh, hi mom," he says, weakly. "Sorry for waking you up, I just-"

"Oh no, it's fine," Misako yawns, blinking back exhaustion as she sits up straighter. "I didn't mean to fall asleep."

Lloyd glances at her, eyeing the dark circles beneath her eyes. "How long have you been here for?" he asks, hesitantly. "You should go home and rest, if you want, Uncle Wu can keep an eye on him."

"Yes, yes, I'm aware," his mother huffs, shifting in the seat but making no move to get up. "I simply — I want to be here. I need to be here."

Lloyd looks at her curiously, listening to the way she hesitates on the last sentence, her voice turning almost sad. "What do you mean?"

Misako shakes her head, rubbing a weary hand across her eyes. "A…good many things," she murmurs. She gives him a rueful look. "A good many times I could have been there, but I wasn't."

Lloyd looks down — not at the bed, at the floor — and bites his lip. They've talked about this before, he and his mom. Long, late-night, painful talks about the past, about the present, about all the things Lloyd didn't understand and Misako couldn't quite explain. But they've rebuilt, haven't they? Taken the broken shards of what she'd left him with and tried to build something stable out of it, something that worked.

Maybe she's just trying to do the same with his father.

(Lloyd understands _that_.)

"I know I haven't been constant," Misako says, tightly. "But I — I love your father, Lloyd, I do. I've never met anyone in my life I fell in love with quite like that. But it-"

She cuts off, her voice echoing hollowly in the room. "I'm not like him," she finally says, quietly. Regretfully. "I'm not like you, or Wu. I'm human, Lloyd," she gives a humorless breath of laughter. "I'm the weakest part of you. I was never - I wanted to be ready for this, but I wasn't. I thought I could stop it, did you know? I was so sure. So sure, that if I could just find one little loophole, one way out, we could avert destiny. And I could laugh in your grandfather's face, because we'd beat him."

Misako gives a bitter, broken laugh. "But I just made it so much _worse_." Lloyd edges a little closer to her, and she pulls him fully on the couch with her, wrapping an arm around his shoulders, almost as more for her sake than for his.

"I'm sorry," she murmurs, her voice thick.

Lloyd pats the hand on his shoulder a little awkwardly, feeling rather lost, as he always does when this subject comes up. "Destiny's stupid," he mutters.

Misako laughs again, this one less strained. "That it is," she breathes. "That it is."

Lloyd looks down again, this time his eyes daring to find his father. He still hasn't moved, lying silently on the bed, eyes shut and expression emotionless. Lloyd inhales tightly, struggling to feel as impassive as his father looks. It doesn't quite work.

"I'm sorry I couldn't save him."

Lloyd's voice sounds hollow and small in the hospital room, bleak whisper that it is. His mother stiffens, and her arm tightens around his shoulder.

"Oh sweetheart," Misako says, her voice endlessly weary. "That was never your responsibility."

* * *

 _It's getting hard to breathe._

 _They have to get Jay out of here, that's all Lloyd can think, they have to get Jay out of here now, he needs medical attention, or — or something better than this. But everywhere Lloyd turns he sees dark shadows, hulking Oni pressing in on them from every side. It's all he can do to keep his sword up, his hands stinging from the green blasts he's sending out. He's lost sight of Cole and Zane, and the distance between him and Kai is getting larger by the second, pushed apart bit by bit by the Oni._

 _Lloyd chokes on panic. They're losing._

 _It's been a possibility from the start, a high one, and Lloyd knew that, but some part of him is only just starting to accept it. They're outnumbered, so hopelessly outnumbered, but Lloyd-_

 _He can't quit. He won't quit, but he doesn't know how they're going to get out of this aliv-_

 _A cry of pain echoes across the battlefield, and Lloyd stumbles to a halt. He knows that voice. He's loved it and hated it and loved it even still-_

 _Lloyd turns, and his world stutters to a halt, freezing him along with it. The sounds of battle around him turn muffled, as if the entire world is blurring into slow-motion. Garmadon has fallen to one knee, stunned from a blast. His father doesn't see the Oni approaching behind him, her jagged sword already forcing forward, aimed directly for his back._

 _But Lloyd does._

 _It's not even a thought in his mind, what his father's done. What his father's become, how much of the parent he loves is even left in the being kneeling on the charred ground._

 _But Lloyd **can't**. He can't lose him again, he can't, he won't, so when the world speeds up again he moves forward and-_

* * *

Lloyd's voice falters, hitching. He can't even remember what he'd been talking to his father about, the threads of that one-sided conversation effectively cut by the rush of memories. He shakes his head, blinking rapidly. What's _wrong_ with him? He's been so successful at not thinking about that awful battle so far, and now-

"I don't know why I'm still doing this," Lloyd says, swapping the ache in his chest for anger. "I don't know why I'm even here, this is stupid."

His father remains silent, the steady beep of the monitor unchanged as always. Lloyd wants to smash it against the wall.

"I mean, you can't even hear me right now, so it's not like it matters," he laughs, bitterly. "I can say whatever, you won't care. You probably wouldn't even care if you were awake, would you? 'Cause you - 'cause you-"

Lloyd cuts off, his breathing shuddery as he tries to stifle the burning in his eyes. He grinds the heels of palms against them, listening to the light whistle of wind from outside, the shifting footsteps from further down the hospital halls.

"M'sorry. I know that wasn't you."

Lloyd exhales, letting his hands drop wearily to his lap. He stares at them, the lightly-tanned skin unblemished save for the still-healing cuts, the scars from previous battles. A part of him wonders what it's like to see the dark skin of an Oni there instead.

"I just…I miss you," Lloyd whispers, and his hands clench in. "I missed you since the tournament, since before everything, but now I miss you even more. And it's all my fault I lost you, I know that. I _hate_ that, I hate it so much that I was the one who… " His breath hitches, and Lloyd has to take a moment to swallow the lump in his throat.

"But she - she was right. I do want you back. I want -" Lloyd's eyes burn hot, and his hands clench tighter, as if desperately holding on to something that's not there. "I want my dad back."

He bites hard enough on his lip to draw blood, eyes finally welling over. Lloyd wipes angrily at a streaking tear, sniffing as he does. _Stupid_ , he's so stupid, he sounds like a little kid again, crying in front of his dad like he - like he - when he's-

Garmadon's hand twitches.

Lloyd goes utterly still. Every muscle sits frozen, save for his heart as it jumps to his throat. The beeping on the monitor picks up, slow at first, then steadily growing faster and louder. Lloyd stares at it in blank confusion, unable to fully comprehend what this means.

The door suddenly swings open, and Misako rushes in, her eyes wide, followed closely by a doctor. Uncle Wu is just behind them, his expression caught in a painful sort of hope. Lloyd stays sitting frozen, his brain refusing to process-

There's a sound from the bed, and Lloyd's head whips to his father, his heart finally picking back up at a dizzying pace.

Garmadon stirs. His expression screws up into a grimace, the tell-tale signs of waking up. Lloyd's heart shoots into overdrive.

He's waking up. His father is waking up. His _real_ father — this is what he's wanted, isn't it? This is what he's needed, what he's hoped for in his wildest dreams, he was _literally just_ asking for this-

Garmadon's eyes flutter, and Lloyd shoots out of the chair.

He moves so quickly that Misako gives a shriek of surprise as he pushes blindly past her, ignoring her as he tears for the door, shoving past the doctor and Uncle Wu. He fumbles once with the door handle, then _slams_ it open, breaking into a sprint past the startled nurses. He faintly hears Uncle Wu calling after him, his mother's voice mixing with his, but they're quickly drowned out by the ringing haze of panic in his brain.

 _He can't do this._

Lloyd _runs_ — he runs and run and runs, blindly tearing for the stairs as his heart beats a screaming staccato in his ears-

* * *

 _-he pushes himself faster than he's ever moved, hands meeting his father and shoving, out of harm like he couldn't with Chen, couldn't with the Cursed Realm, but_ ** _not this time_** -

* * *

-sprints through the lobby, unconscious of the voices that call after him, panicked tones he half-way recognizes as he elbows hard against the main doors, his vision swimming as a wave of panic crushes in on his chest, heavy and hurting and-

* * *

 _-pain, blunt and breath-taking as it slams into him, the impact half-echoing in his ears as he gasps, and he immediately knows his father won't be the one saying goodbye this time-_

* * *

-finally shoves through the doors and stumbles out into the freezing air, choking on a sob. He doesn't stop, not even when his feet hit the pavement, carrying him down the steps and out toward the street, away, as far away as he can get. His vision blurs, throat constricting and panic blinding him as he stumbles over a curb, taking him out into bright headlights and blaring horns-

* * *

 _-Kai's voice, screaming his name-_

* * *

A hand grabs his arm tight, and Lloyd is jerked suddenly out of the way just before a car crashes into him.

"What are you _doing?!_ "

Kai's voice is tight in terror as he pulls Lloyd onto the sidewalk, stumbling back over the frozen, snowy grass of the hospital lawn. Lloyd gasps, staring blankly forward as he hangs loosely in Kai's hold, the sounds of nearby traffic echoing oddly in his ears like he's underwater - _drowning_ , he's drowning again-

"Lloyd, you almost got yourself _killed_ , what-"

Lloyd shakes his head, his chest constricting again as his vision blurs beyond recognition.

He'd thought - he's over this, what's _happening_ to him? He was past it, he was past _everything_ , everything with his father, he was okay with it, he was fin-

He's fi-

He's f-

"Lloyd, Lloyd _answer_ _me_ , you're scaring me-"

It isn't working. Lloyd's breath catches on a sob, the world flooding back to him as Kai stares at him, his eyes wide with concerned alarm. It isn't working this time, he's telling himself he's fine and - why isn't it _working_ -

 _I have no son._

 _Everything's_ coming back, like Harumi's full-blasting that _stupid_ video in his brain on repeat, every concrete crunch of the wall his father threw him through, every hatred-laced word he'd yelled at him, all the hurt he'd shoved down that was supposed to be _gone_ , that was supposed to be _fine_ , and he can't-

"-can't," Lloyd gasps, trying to inhale and choking instead. "I can't, my dad, Kai I _can't_ -"

He can't finish the sentence, but that's all it takes for recognition to dawn in Kai's eyes. He's always known Lloyd a bit better than himself.

"Oh, _Lloyd_." Kai pulls Lloyd to him tightly, letting them both down onto the snow-covered, frozen grass like he doesn't even care about anything but him. Lloyd clutches back as if he's the only thing left in the world, unregistering of the people passing around him or the cold that's seeping through his thin sweater.

The hospital doors slide open with a hiss, rapid footsteps sounding against the pavement before crunching across the snow toward them.

"Guys, what's going _on,_ I step into the kid's ward for one second and-"

Nya's voice falters as her footsteps do, slowing to a halt beside them. Lloyd doesn't - _can't_ look at her, and Kai's arms tighten around him, his steady warmth pushing back the pressing cold that's settled in on him.

"Garmadon's awake," Kai says, tightly.

And that's all she needs. Nya gives a quiet intake of breath, and she sinks down as well, embracing Lloyd from behind, firmly trapping him between the two siblings. _His_ two siblings, his family, _they're_ his family, not-

"It's gonna be okay," Nya says comfortingly, but her voice is strained. "We did this once, we'll do it again, okay? It's gonna be fine."

Lloyd gives a choked, sobbing laugh. Because he can finally admit to himself that _nothing_ , absolutely _nothing_ , is gonna be fine.


	16. Chapter 16

**Phew okay we're getting back to a slightly more on-track length (it'll probably last...one chapter...) but at least it's not 5k again? :'D**

 **Anyways, here's a Garmabros chapter! I've been _very much_ neglecting these two this story, but the next few chapters are gonna be heavy on the Garmafam so! Kinda makes up for it? Full disclosure I really, really wish Ninjago would give this family and their relationships more focus, because I'm sure Wu and Garm were pretty close brothers? We see that in Hands of Time? So it's gotta be at least a _little_ painful to have to deal with all the... _baggage_...they have?! Ninjago just give this poor family closure already then let them _rest_.**

 **I'm finally getting back to reviews (school has been crushing me in a slow historical rhetoricians-induced death) but in the meantime thank you so so much as always to all the wonderful people who review this fic! I am...somewhat sorry for the last chapter. Just a little bit :D**

* * *

 _For all that Garmadon has boasted of his apathy— for all that he has prided his instincts — for all that he has scoffed at the paralyzing uselessness of the sentimentality his brother's students cling to—_

 _The fire ninja is the first to react._

 _The brash child_ _—_ _because that's all they are, really, no matter how they pretend_ _—_ _screams, a gutted, horrible sound that will likely haunt those who hear it for the rest of their lives. He's moving even before the Oni has finished pulling the sword from the boy with a sickening sound, dark crimson coating the blade. It's the last thing it will ever do. The second it steps back, bright flames engulf the Oni, consuming it before it has the chance to react, it's final roar a shriek._

 _The fire ninja pays it no mind, sliding to his knees and catching the boy as he falls, both collapsing to the charred ground. A hot ring of flames erupts around them, brighter than those before, surrounding the three in a circle of fiery protection._

 _Garmadon has yet to move a muscle, standing immobile as the light throws the scene into relief, casting flickering silhouettes around him._

 _"_ _Oh no, no no_ ** _please_** _, no Lloyd, don't you dare-!"_

 _Garmadon stares at Ray's son. He's pulled his hood back, his hair a sweat-streaked mess where it falls in disarray. Hs eyes are wide, panicked and terrified, and Garmadon can see the fine tracks where tears are already beginning to cut through the dirt and dust on his cheeks._

 _The boy opens his mouth, trying to speak, and a horrible choking sound comes out instead, his hand making an aborted movement for his side. His fingers tremble weakly at the mask around his face, and the red ninja tears it off for him, giving a gasping sob as he does._

 _"_ _You're gonna be fine," the fire ninja tells him desperately, and the flames waver before regaining their strength. "Hey, hey look at me, you're gonna be fine, I've got you, just hold on — please just hold on — Zane! Cole! Somebody please-!"_

 _Still, Garmadon does not move. Not even when the flames part, allowing the black ninja to dart in, panting breath stuttering to a halt as his eyes take in the scene._

 _The earth ninja proves less useless than either of them, sliding to his knees beside the fire ninja and the — the boy — and pressing his hands against the gaping wound. "No, no, he's not gonna make it," he mutters frantically. "He's losing too much blood, we gotta stop the bleeding — Kai, you gotta-"_

 _The red ninja makes a sound like he's been punched, his hand tightening where it's locked around the boy's own. But he finally swallows, resolve setting in his expression — a distant part of Garmadon notes that he looks much like his mother, if vague memories serve him correctly. He lifts a trembling hand from the boy's side, his fingers stained with blood, and low-burning flames alight in his palm._

 _There's a choked "I'm_ ** _sorry_** _" and the fire ninja brings his hand down._

 _The boy screams, agonized in the way shattering glass sounds, fading even as it starts, and something inside Garmadon snaps._

 _He forces himself to look, to truly look at the boy, the faded green of the uniform and the pale blond hair, the eyes - the glassy eyes fluttering closed, he knows those eyes-_

 _"No, no stay with me, please-!"_

 _He **knows** those eyes._

 _They're Lloyd's._

 _ **Lloyd**. His son. This is his son, Lloyd is his son, and Lloyd is-_

 _His son is dying._

 _Something sharp and hot and terrible blazes to life in his chest like the flames that burn around him, searing through his veins and stirring the growing fury into a raging inferno, blinding his vision and screaming in his ears like the dying cry of his son._

 _Garmadon does not know how to process shock, or loss. But he knows hatred, he knows rage, and he knows **revenge**. Garmadon finally moves, stepping through the flames, his eyes burning bright as they settle on the Oni. _

_When he wakes again he'll know little of the ensuing battle, the carnage he leaves with his own bloodied hands, but the Oni—_

 _They will know just how terrible the wrath of Garmadon can be, for the short time they have left on this earth._

* * *

To say that Wu is apprehensive as he prepares to re-enter his brother's hospital room is an understatement. He is, quite possibly, to a point where he'd even admit his near-sickening anxiety to his students.

Possibly.

Wu shakes his head. _He's already seen the worst of it,_ he reminds himself. When Garmadon had first woken, when Wu had dashed into the room caught in a haze of hope and fear, only to see his nephew looking paler than the hospital walls and much like he'd been stricken across the face. Lloyd had bolted, of course, which Wu should have seen coming much earlier, even with how fast it had happened. He ought to have gone after him, but Wu's faith in his students is not often misplaced. He hardly needed Cole's assurance that Kai and Nya had gone after his nephew, but Wu had been glad for it.

A part of him does wish, however, that Lloyd had not left quite so fast, and at least allowed his father the chance to glimpse him. Then Wu and Misako would not have had to spend quite so long restraining Garmadon to the bed and insisting that his son was alive, over his desperate attempts to break free and see for himself.

 _-Lloyd, where is my son, Wu, he was dead, he was **dead** -!_

Wu shudders. While he cannot blame his brother for that train of thought — Wu's own nerves have yet to recover from how close his nephew had come to slipping away from them, and he knows full-well his own reaction nearly matched his brother's — it had been an exhausting task, keeping him from storming out of the hospital room and hunting down his son. Something Wu fears would have only made the problem much, much worse, he thinks with a heavy heart. He had been…less aware, to say the least, when Garmadon had first been brought back as a shell of himself, but he'd be blind not to notice the effect it had taken on his nephew.

And he'd be a _fool_ to believe Lloyd's insistence that he was fine, especially after his reaction.

Perhaps he should have said something sooner. Perhaps he should have stayed closer to his students in that last charge. If he had, then perhaps he could have been the one to-

Wu takes a slow breath. There is no changing the past. He needs to remember that, and remind the ache in his chest that even wielding the powers of time itself won't fix what is broken in their family.

But, Wu thinks, as he carefully knocks on his brother's door in warning before pushing it open — _he_ can try to fix it now.

He blinks as he steps into the room, the previously closed blinds now thrown open, flooding the white-walled room with light. He spots Garmadon by the window, his stance rigid, hands linked tightly behind his back as he stares through the fogged glass. Wu is unable to see his expression from here, but he knows his brother well enough to understand he's not particularly at ease.

"How is he?"

Garmadon's voice is rasping, hoarse from what's likely a combination of little use and the harsh growling his other self was fond of.

That, or the devastated screaming Wu had heard as he'd torn through the Oni.

"Lloyd is fine," Wu says, not even having to ask who his brother is inquiring about. Garmadon's shoulders slump the tiniest bit, as if easing out before hunching up again.

"How bad was it," Garmadon says, his voice almost a whisper.

"Not as bad as you seem to have made it out to be in your mind, though it was close," Wu admits. "Fortunately, the ninja's efforts bought him enough time to reach the hospital. The wound is well on it's way to-"

"That's not what I meant."

Wu frowns at his brother's tone. "What do you mean?"

Garmadon finally turns to him, his eyes bloodshot and dark-circled. It's the haunted expression on his face that makes Wu's heart sink further, though.

"How badly did I hurt him, Wu," Garmadon croaks. "When I was brought back — I remember bits and pieces, but not all of it, and I — how badly did I hurt my son, Wu?"

Wu is silent. As if he can forestall the answer, and keep what transpired within the walls of Kryptarium prison forever forgotten from his brother's mind.

" _How badly_ , _Wu?_ "

Wu closes his eyes tightly. He finally looks up at his brother, his eyes heavy.

Garmadon's expression seizes. He whirls, cursing violently as he sends the bedside table clattering to the floor. Wu barely flinches.

"Who was she," Garmadon growls, his eyes incensed. "The girl who brought me back, _where is she-_ "

"Dead, so it's of no use aggrieving yourself with that ghost," Wu says, calmly.

Garmadon just curses again. "I don't _care_ , I just need someone to-"

He sends one of the monitors toppling over, and Wu has to turn and quickly motion to the concerned nurse to stay clear. She looks infinitely relieved as she retreats from the room — Wu very much doubts anyone on the staff is particularly excited about the idea of taking care of someone who was recently somewhat hellbent on destroying them all.

He steps forward, hand held out, as if to stay his brother's rising fury. "Brother, I understand your pain, but you need to calm-"

"No, you _don't_ understand," Garmadon seethes, whirling on him. "Wu, you don't _understand_."

Wu blinks at the unbridled emotion in his brother's voice, but he doesn't step back. There's something in the way Garmadon's shoulders are set, the painfully tense posture so close to snapping, like a band that's been stretched too-far, too-long, that's long past the point of fraying.

So Wu lets his brother speak.

"For most of my life, Wu," Garmadon's voice cuts out raggedly, half-pained resentment and half-begging Wu to understand. "Nearly my entire life, I've been denied the ability to choose, to make even the simplest of clear-headed decisions. Misako, Lloyd, those few precious moments I had without the venom — those are the _only_ things in my life I've been able to choose for myself, Wu!" Garmadon's eyes are agonized, and Wu feels his heart constrict.

"You don't _understand,_ what that's like," Garmadon continues, bitterly strained. "To know that your destiny is so unchangeably decided, to know that no matter what path you try to take, no matter what you truly want, no matter how desperately you try to fight against it — your efforts will _never_ matter in the end." He breaks off, expressions spasming briefly before he brings it back under control. "But I had thought at least — at _least_ I had left Lloyd on my own terms, knowing that he had a father who _loved_ him."

Garmadon's fists tighten, and something that looks like a terrible cross between rage and depthless grief flashes across his face.

"And now — now I come back, just to learn that I've been resurrected, manipulated, _used_ as a mere weapon to destroy the _one person_ who refused to lose faith in me, and I — and he-" Garmadon breaks off, his voice strangled. He collapses on the edge of the bed, the anger seeping from his posture, elbows braced heavily on his knees as he buries his face in his hands.

"He should have let me die," he whispers.

Wu has been standing rooted to the spot until this point — too stunned, perhaps, too heartsore on his brother's behalf (too angry, maybe even, though he's only made it this far because he never lets himself be). But now he moves, stepping over to Garmadon and taking a seat beside him on the rumpled hospital bed, springs creaking slightly. His hand hand hovers awkwardly over his brother's shoulder before he decides against it, letting his hand fall heavily in his own lap.

A coward, as he always is, Wu berates himself. He exhales wearily, and chooses his next words with a care he normally reserves for his students.

"You know Lloyd would not rest easy letting even his worst enemy die, if he could help it," Wu says, slowly. "And you know Lloyd's opinion of you. He would not stand by and watch you die."

"He's done it before," Garmadon snaps, tightly. Wu winces. It's not as if the words are false — Wu's lost his brother countless times, and more than less that loss has been at the hands, however unwilling, of his nephew.

"He should let me go once more — for good, this time," Garmadon bites out, the bitterness edged with despair now. "Or I'll leave myself, so I can never — so I can't keep _hurting_ him."

Wu is silent for a moment, letting his brother's words sink in, turning them over in his head. Not for the first time in his life, Wu has little idea how to help his brother _—_ how to fix what's broken in their family. For heaven's sake, Wu can hardly remember a time that there _wasn't_ something in their family that needed fixing, cannot recall a time when their family hasn't been balancing on edge of a knife, his father's legacy threatening to tear at least one of them apart.

It's simply the way things are, Wu knows that. It's Ninjago or his brother, Ninjago or his nephew. It's the thing Misako could never truly accept, and only broke them further trying to deny.

But perhaps….

Wu finally looks up, staring out the fogged window, and runs a thought Kai put into his head not long ago over. A thought about _choices,_ as his brother's been going on about. Despite his inability to forestall tragedy, Wu's been able to chose his path in life. Garmadon, despite the influence of the venom, has had his share of choices as well, few and far-between as they are. There is a great deal that's transpired in Ninjago simply because of the actions they chose to take. But _perhaps_.

"Has it occurred to you," Wu says, still staring out the glass panes. "Just how few choices we've actually given Lloyd?"

Garmadon stills, his head slowly rising, and Wu feels his eyes on him.

"No one in this family has ever had much of a choice in the matters of importance," he continues. "But with the ones we've made, we've just left fewer choices for those that come after us, haven't we?"

Wu thinks of Morro, and how terribly he'd failed him. Thinks of how he could have saved him, had he acted earlier. He thinks of Lloyd, how happy Wu had been to have saved _him_ , only to throw his nephew right in the path of a destiny he'd never wanted. He thinks of the irony there.

Wu swallows, and pushes forward. "You were never there in the aftermath, but Lloyd took it terribly hard." His brother sucks in a sharp breath. "I do believe that the thought of letting you die again — regardless of what you'd done to him — might have been too painful to bear yet again."

Garmadon lets out a shaky breath. "Of course," he murmurs. "Of course it would. Of course he wouldn't let me go, he's still a sentimental _fool_ -"

Garmadon breaks off again, and he swears, less violently this time. Wu has heard those words from his brother before, but they're entirely different coming from his mouth than they were when he was a hollow shell of himself. The careless scorn is replaced with a pained sort of fondness, and no small amount of regret.

"What's become of us," Garmadon finally whispers hollowly, staring at his hands.

"Lloyd once suggested that we were cursed," Wu offers. "I find myself tempted to agree with him."

His brother gives a rueful snort. "He's probably right," he mutters. "As usual."

Wu feels the smallest pull of a smile at his mouth, and lets it turn into one that's only lightly soaked in bitterness. "He has a habit of turning out correct with those sort of things," he adds.

Garmadon exhales raggedly, kneading the palms of his hands into his eyes again. "What am I supposed to do now, Wu?" he rasps.

Wu has to blink at how unsure, how _small_ his brother's voice sounds. His older brother isn't supposed to sound like that, some foolishly childish part of him still left says.

"I don't even know where to begin," Garmadon continues, his voice a bit louder but no less despairing. "What I've done…there's no hope of return, is there? To even _pretend_ that I could repair what's been done." He shakes his head, eyes lost. "What am I supposed to do?"

There's a beat of silence, Garmadon's words echoing hollowly in the room, and Wu thinks.

 _Perhaps_. Perhaps, if he actually tried this time, if he tried like Lloyd-

"Come home," Wu speaks up before he can stop himself. "Come home with me. You — the monastery is still being rebuilt, but there's room, there's room for us. Come home and we can…we can plan. We'll come up with something, just like we used to."

 _Be my brother again_ , Wu wants to cry. _Stop drowning yourself in guilt and be the person I looked up to, the person I loved, please._

"Come home and we'll fix things this time," Wu continues, his voice wavering. "This time, we won't bury it. We'll face it, we'll face it together, I promise, if you just —"

Wu's courage finally falters, and his voice trails off into silence. He feels gutted, as if he's torn off a wound ages-old, one he's ignored for years on end, and now he's left with the unguarded sting of it.

But he means it. He means every word. He's tired, so tired, of their family and its broken pieces. If there's a chance, even the smallest, most hopeless chance of repairing anything that's lost, then Wu will try his-

"You're a hopelessly sentimental fool as well, aren't you," Garmadon finally speaks up. But there's no mockery in his voice, only a thick fondness.

"I have tried it the other way," Wu finally admits. "And I find myself a good deal less happy than Lloyd, even with every pain he's suffered for it."

Garmadon gives a watery laugh, but the bitter edge is lessened this time.

"Well," he says, and Wu almost starts as his brother's hand comes to rest on his shoulder, squeezing briefly. He sighs, the sound echoing in the room. "I suppose I'm a hypocrite."

Wu smiles. "There are worse things to be."


	17. Chapter 17

**Still power-walking my way through school, finals are coming up in March and boy I am! Not ready! Hitting word counts is so much _easier_ when I'm writing about plastic lego pajama kids...but I've got some free time so hopefully I can keep getting these next chapters edited a bit faster!**

 **Lightening things up a bit here - Rachel's making an appearance again, but it's mostly just to try to avoid getting murdered by Kai. (We all know Kai's a big dumb softie though, like he ever _wasn't_ gonna buy Lloyd the cat). Also, here's that connection I mentioned she was here for earlier. **

**Also huge, HUGE thank you to everyone who left feedback last chapter, I was blown away by how kind everyone was! Writing Wu and Garmadon is something I'm always nervous about but _wow_ , you guys really know how to very-nearly reduce me to tears of happiness. Still working on getting back to replies, but in the meantime, thank you so much again!**

 **(Aw man, these just keep getting longer...)**

* * *

The thing is, Lloyd can _tell_ Kai he's perfectly fine as many times as he wants, but when Kai is rudely yanked from sleep by nightmares before dawn again and finds that the bathroom lights don't work because all the bulbs exploded during the night, it pretty much speaks for itself.

(And no, this is not Kai ignoring his own nightmares by focusing on his little brother's instead.)

Kai stares at the empty light sockets in the Brookstone's bathroom blankly, flicking the light switch up and down one more time, just in case his vision is still sleep-deprived, or something.

No change. _Definitely dead,_ Kai thinks, as he stares at the light sockets. He quickly glances down —he can't see much in the dark, and there's a chance Lloyd has already gotten to the shards, since Kai's feet aren't bleeding yet. But it's better to be safe than sorry.

He sighs, stomach twisting in worry, and heads to the kitchen to find a flashlight. He tries to keep his footsteps quieter than usual, so he doesn't wake Cole's dad up. Mr. Brookstone's already been generous enough to let them stay here until they find other arrangements (read: until Nya finally slave-drives their little group into finishing the _Bounty_ and they surprise the daylights out of everyone), and putting up with a bunch of rowdy, mildly-traumatized ninja your son happened to get stuck with can't be _that_ enjoyable. The least Kai can do is not wake him up at the crack of dawn, he reminds himself, trying to bite back a yelp as he accidentally stubs his toe savagely against a wall.

 _Stupid dark hallways, stupid traitor toe, stupid dead lightbulbs-_

He's just considering making a little fireball for light so he doesn't fracture another one of his toes, when he nearly smacks face-first into a humming orb of green, floating innocently in the doorway where it casts an eerie, flickering light. Kai blinks, realizing there's several others floating around the kitchen too, brightening it enough to where he can see the source. Lloyd stands in the middle of his little lights, sweeping glass lightbulb shards up from the floor and gripping the broom handle like he's trying to strangle it.

 _Uh-oh._ A bad one, then.

Kai studies him, chewing on his lip in concern. Lloyd looks even worse than the other day, if possible — while his eyes aren't all swollen and puffy anymore, they're bloodshot to a point of concern, and the dark circles under them are getting to the point where he could probably pass them off as black eyes. The lighting casts his skin in an odd coloring, but it's not hard to tell that half the normal color's gone from his face.

Kai bites his lip harder. He knew, he _knew_ it was gonna be bad after Garmadon woke up, but this is…this is hard. It's always hard, watching Lloyd crumble apart piece by piece until he finally opens up, but this time is just feeling especially miserable. It's the holidays. It's _Christmas_. Lloyd is supposed to be _happy_ , not a faded version of Kai's little brother whose smile is slowly dying by the day.

Kai shakes himself, and steps forward quietly. "Hey, Llo-"

Lloyd whirls so quickly, Kai doesn't even _see_ the broom handle catching him by the legs, sweeping him off his feet as Lloyd swings it viciously. Kai slams to the floor with a yelp, pulling his arms over his face in brief panic as Lloyd threatens to send the broom handle smashing into his face.

Lloyd freezes last-second, the deadly, kind-of-terrifying look on his face quickly morphing to shock. His eyes go wide, and a slight horror flashes in them instead.

"Kai!" he bursts out, quickly pulling the broom away. "I'm so sorry, I didn't — are you okay?"

Okay, maybe _slight_ isn't the right word.

"M'fine," he waves at Lloyd, before taking his outstretched hand and pulling himself to his feet. He bites back a groan at the twinge of pain in his back as he does. _Oof_ , he's gonna be sore there tomorrow. When'd Lloyd get so _vicious?_ Like he's proud, sure, but still.

Lloyd stands back, twisting his hands anxiously around the broom handle. The dark circles under his eyes only look worse as his expression crumples in guilt. "Are you…are you sure?"

Kai stretches briefly, then shoots Lloyd a grin. "Chill out, you aren't that powerful," he says. "At least you didn't pull a Jay and zap me, or something."

"Y-yeah," Lloyd laughs, a little nervously, but the tightness in his shoulders relaxes a bit.

Kai narrows his eyes. "Are _you_ okay?" He glances down, and Lloyd follows his gaze, wincing at the shattered remains of the kitchen lightbulbs scattered around him.

"Oh yeah, I'm - sorry about this," he mutters, sweeping at the shards again, with slightly less force this time. "I'm taking care of it. I've just gotta pick up light bulbs at the store later since we're…out of them."

"Don't sweat it," Kai says, waving his hand. "Mr. Brookstone needed new lightbulbs anyways. You're supposed to change them out what, every few months or so?"

"…Cole changed them out yesterday."

"Whatever, they were ugly ones, no loss," Kai says, steamrolling over his bluster. Lloyd gives a quiet snort of laughter, and Kai considers it a victory. He crouches down, holding the dust pan steady so Lloyd can sweep the smaller of the glass shards up. They give the floor a quick once-over before Kai rises, dumping the glass shards in the trash as Lloyd leans the broom back against the closet. Kai nearly runs into one of the floating lights again, watching as it shimmers innocently.

"These are cool," he says, poking one of the floating orbs with his fingers. It sputters, flickering from green to pale gold before snuffing out. Kai blinks, feeling a bit like he's murdered a firefly.

"Sorry, if I lose concentration they go out pretty easy," Lloyd says. "And uh, thanks. I figured out how to make 'em a couple months ago, but I haven't really…needed to use them 'til now."

"Nice," Kai says. Normally he'd get more into it, because Lloyd's powers are _cool_ , and it's always fun to see what new thing he can pull off and surprise the others with later. But right now is different, because Lloyd is starting to look shifty, and there's a _glaring_ elephant in the room Kai wants to take care of before-

"Anyways, it's still only six, and we're on holiday," Lloyd says quickly. "We should get back to bed-"

"No, wait-" Kai reaches for Lloyd's arm, eyes widening. Lloyd slips by, dodging him as he gives the worst excuse of a reassuring smile Kai's ever seen.

"It's fine," he says, and oh, _punk_ , he knows exactly what Kai wants and he's just gonna ditch again, isn't he- "I'm really fine, just pretty tired," Lloyd continues, covering his mouth as he yawns. "Gonna get back to bed, heh."

Kai opens his mouth to protest, but his early-morning mind hasn't fully rebooted yet, and Lloyd slips from the room before he can even come up with a non-confrontational reason to get him to stay. He watches Lloyd flee down the hallway back to the bedroom, his heart sinking. Again, he _knew_ things were gonna be bad when Garmadon woke up.

He just didn't think they'd be this bad.

Granted, it's not like Lloyd having a breakdown over his dad is anything _new_. But this is just…normally Kai's at least able to get Lloyd to _talk_ to him about it. Even after everything with Harumi, he'd broken down after enough prodding. Heck, even after Kai himself had threatened to blast him with that stupid staff back at the tournament, Lloyd hadn't shut down so completely on him. He'd still talked to him when Kai had approached, let him explain what had happened, opened up enough so they could talk it out.

 _And that,_ Kai thinks dully, _is the problem_. This isn't something Lloyd really needs to talk to _him_ about, is it? No, the person Lloyd needs to talk to is the same person Kai could happily murder at any given time of the day.

Not that that's…really new either.

Kai finally stirs, shaking himself. He's wasting time like this, and certainly not helping Lloyd out. He glances at the kitchen clock and sighs briefly in relief — it looks like the power system was spared. He taps his fingers on the kitchen counter, debating. It's still early enough that he might be able to sleep in another hour or so, if he wanted…

But it's also late enough that most shops are gonna open soon, and Kai doesn't really feel like going back to bed now anyways. Sneaking back into their shared guest room, Kai snatches his clothes up, pausing by the door to slip on his shoes. He spares Lloyd's bed a glance, watching the steady rise and fall of his shoulders.

 _Oh, fine_. At least he's actually trying to sleep, like he said. Maybe he can get like, more than two hours of it for once.

Slipping on his jacket, Kai hurries quietly out the door of the Brookstone's house, shivering in the bitterly cold morning air. Man, now he _really_ wants to create a fireball. Rubbing his hands together, Kai starts forward in a brisk walk, trying to avoid the freshly fallen snow as he makes toward the city subway at a rapid pace. Sure, summoning his dragon would probably be a lot quicker, but Kai isn't feeling too enthusiastic about flying up where it's colder, and dealing with all that wind.

Besides, there's a reason he's taking care of this particular present this early, and it's not exactly something he wants to draw attention to himself getting.

* * *

People who decide to schedule you for the morning shifts on your winter break are the _devil_ , Rachel decides. She fumbles awkwardly with the store sign for a moment, her fingers still too freezing to function properly. After a muffled swear, she finally gets a thumb on the switch, the storefront lights flickering on. Rachel steps down, stifling a yawn and blinking blearily as she turns for the counter.

 _Get a job,_ her mom says. _It'll look good on college applications,_ her mom says. _You like animals anyways, and it has after-school hours, so you won't have to whine about waking up early_ , her mom says. Yeah right.

 _Ugh_. Rachel throws her jacket down on the counter with a huff. It'll also completely ruin her Christmas break, too. She's supposed to be _sleeping in_ , not working extra holiday hours. Besides, what's the point of showing up on time if _dumb classmate coworkers_ aren't gonna bother to do the same? Ditching her at the hospital was lame enough, but this is a new low.

Rachel flops down on the stool by the counter, balling up her jacket and shoving it beneath her bed as a makeshift pillow. Well, if she's gonna be stuck here by herself. Maybe she can sneak a nap in before anyone else shows up — their boss isn't supposed to come in until this afternoon, and it's not like anyone else in their right minds are gonna be out this early. Besides, this is Rachel's health on the line here. She's in her rights to slack off work if it's benefiting her mental state because she stayed up too late last night binge-watching terrible holiday TV specials. Which was a really bad move, in hindsight, because she desperately needs to get her sleep schedule straight. That way, maybe she won't make a colossal idiot out of herself again by not recognizing a high-profile celebrity hero she's admired for _years_ when he's talking to her face.

Rachel buries her head deeper in her jacket, groaning. So like, looking at things _positively_ , the upside about asking for Lloyd Garmadon's phone number like she did is that she probably came off as someone who's just, like, really chill about everything, and wanted to treat Lloyd like a normal person. As opposed to, you know, a complete brainless moron who didn't even _recognize him_.

She's _never_ going to get over the shame of that, she's been following the ninja on TV since forever, she _has Lloyd's broadcast videotaped_ , for heaven's sake.

Well, at least she learned that he really is as genuine as he seems, she reminds herself. A total sweetheart, the kind of person who probably cries over sad animal movies. And a dork, actually, which you _don't_ see on TV, but was kinda funny to figure out.

 _Ha_ , Rachel thinks. Like _she_ has any room to talk about being a dork. She'd spent a good half an hour or so going through her room the other night and frantically shoving her old school notebooks deep, deep in the depths of her closet, so no one _(Lloyd)_ could _ever_ find them, and bear witness to all the hearts she'd drawn around the black ninja on every cover, because-

 _"I met him, mom, I have his number, and friends don't have creepy notebooks with their faces on them!_ "

Fortunately, Rachel's mother is a wonderfully understanding person who pretended her best to understand why her daughter was frantically throwing out all her posters with a manic intensity.

(She had also suggested she invite Lloyd over for dinner, which is a _terrible_ idea, because one: Rachel's a moron and Lloyd is a super-powered-ninja-celebrity, and two: Rachel's got three little brothers and their heads would explode, and then they would steal him, so — bad idea.)

Rachel pulls one of the jacket sleeves over her head, yawning. Geez, she needs to stop thinking so much about this. She needs _sleep_. Besides, certain lazy coworkers could get here at any minute, and _then_ she can freak out over it with him.

She's just starting to drift off to the quiet shop holiday music, when there's a familiar vibrating sound from the counter. Her phone goes off with a _ding_ , and Rachel groans, cracking an eye open as she glances at the screen. It takes a moment for the blurry name to clear, but when it does, both eyes shoot open. Rachel snaps up straight, previous exhaustion evaporating as she frantically clicks the message.

 ** _Lloyd_** _: u were right about that one band btw_

 ** _Lloyd_** _: they're actually pretty good_

Rachel feels a smile split across her face. He's texted her once or twice since she'd asked for his number — mostly just her sending him pictures of the dogs at work, and him photoshopping little reindeer antlers on them. But he's gotten quieter the last few days, the tone of his texts changing, fading out a bit. Not that she minds, of course, this is — this is _Lloyd Garmadon_ , his life is probably crazy. So the fact that he texted her back at all! Rachel feels a rush of excitement. Lloyd Garmadon is _texting_ her. _Lloyd Garmadon_ is texting her. _Lloyd Garmadon_ is texting _her_ -

Rachel has to cut herself off there, so someone doesn't walk in and see her grinning at her phone a bit too much like a maniac. She shakes her head, fingers hovering over the keyboard. _Just be chill_ , she tells herself. Just…text him like she would any other friend.

 ** _Rachel_** _: dude why are u even awake its too early_

 ** _Rachel_** _: go back to sleep for me, some of us gotta be out here suffering_

 ** _Lloyd_** _: can't. cole's snoring_

Rachel snorts at the message, before starting on her reply. This is _insane_. They're just gonna casually talk about the people that save the city on a regular basis, huh? At least Lloyd is down-to-earth in a nice kind of way, so she doesn't completely lose her mind over the fact that she's now sending the Green Ninja her private playlist recommendation.

 ** _Lloyd_** _: isn't that the band u were saying was for emo phases_

 ** _Rachel_** _: …maybe_

 ** _Rachel_** _: ur about due for an emo phase anyways_

 ** _Lloyd_** _: i am not_

 ** _Rachel_** _: its ok, even luke skywalker had one_

 ** _Lloyd_** _: i already had my emo phase when i was like 8_

 ** _Rachel_** _: doesn't count_

 ** _Lloyd_** _: does too. i wore a skeleton hoodie and everything_

 ** _Rachel_** _: uh huh_

 ** _Lloyd_** _: i wore the hood up all the time_

 ** _Rachel_** _: now we're getting somewhere_

 ** _Lloyd_** _: it had a cape_

 ** _Rachel_** _: oh lloyd, no_

 ** _Lloyd_** _: i had bowl cut bangs_

 ** _Rachel_** _: oh no!_

Rachel bursts into muffled snorts at the picture Lloyd's attached, one of him looking much younger where he's grinning at someone off camera, his hair styled into a haphazard bowl cut her mom would probably start crying at. The Green Ninja is a _nerd_.

The bell on the door suddenly jingles, and Rachel quickly stuffs her phone in her pocket, snapping to attention. She pastes on her work smile, preparing to give the customary greeting in a voice that's an octave higher than her normal one-

And stops dead, her sentence dying in a strangled wheeze. The person she's seeing in front of her _should_ be impossible, but she's not making that mistake again. Besides, the hair on this ninja is kind of a dead give-away. Kai Smith's hair is a popular topic in her household, with her mom being a hairdresser and all. Maybe she can ask him how he gets it to stick up like-

"Oh!" she says blinking wildly. "Oh, I'm sorry, I totally zoned out there for a sec - can I, uh, how can I help you, uh, Mr….Fire Ninja?"

The fire ninja, in all his gelled-haired glory, snorts. Oh, it's definitely Kai, she thinks. He's just as striking in person, warm eyes and sharp jawline and Anakin Skywalker-scar all mysterious and perfect. He's not _exactly_ her type, but she definitely gets why he has so many social media followers, 'cause _wow_.

"You can just call me Kai," he says, with a wink. Rachel doesn't even realize her cheeks are heating up. "And I…um." He rubs the back of his head, suddenly looking a little unsure of himself. "I'm here to get an animal, actually."

"Oh," Rachel blinks. "Oh, cool! You are, uh, in the right place then." She quickly pulls out their listing book, trying to force herself back into some semblance of professionalism, as opposed to gaping at him like a dead fish. "Did you have an idea of what you wanted…?"

Kai shifts, looking a bit awkward. "Yeah, actually. I'm looking for this cat, but I'm not sure which one? My brother's the one who saw it, he should've been in here recently, his name's-"

"Lloyd, yeah," Rachel says, a little more confident now that she's getting over the initial shock. "He was in with me the other day, I know exactly what cat he looked at-"

"Wait, _you're_ Rachel?" Kai says, his eyes narrowing.

Rachel stutters to a halt, taken aback by the heat in his voice. "Um, yes? Hi, uh-"

"You're the one Lloyd met at the hospital?"

"Ye-es?" Rachel blinks rapidly. Does he have something against Lloyd meeting new people at the hospital? Was there a vetting process for meeting the ninja that she missed? Does she have a criminal record she doesn't know about?

Wait, no, that's ridiculous-

"So then, _Rachel_ — tell me, exactly, who are you?" Kai says, leaning forward with a dangerously protective look in his eyes. "And what, _exactly_ , are your intentions with my little brother?"

 _Oh_. It clicks. Rachel's eyes go wide. Protective big brother, right. And - oh _no_ , was the last girl Lloyd hung out with outside the ninja the _princess?_ She watches the news, she's heard the stories, no wonder Kai looks so fierce, his only experience is-

"I'm not like the princess, I swear!" she yelps, without thinking. "I would never do something like that to him, promise, I don't even own like, a pocket knife, so I couldn't even — I didn't even _know_ it was him at first, I thought he was just a really sweet volunteer or something — which he is! Really sweet, I mean, he's — he's a really nice person, I would never…it'd be like murdering a puppy, or something."

 _Oof_. So _that's_ why her composition grades are so low. Rachel trails off, her cheeks heating, but Kai looks slightly less dangerous, and a bit satisfied. He leans back, still eyeing her.

"Alright," he says. "Sorry, I just…gotta check, you know?"

"Yup," Rachel nods sagely, as if _she_ even knows what it's like to have your family constantly getting attacked. "Totally get it. Yup."

"Okay," Kai says, still eyeing her carefully. "So…cat?"

"Cat!" Rachel snaps herself back. "Yeah, I've got her cage tagged, actually — here, she's right back this way."

Rachel quickly leads him back through the animal cages, trying not to feel as if he's glaring daggers at her back. Or about to throw an _actual_ dagger at her back, that'd be more ninja style, right?

"This is her," Rachel says as cheerfully as she can, gesturing to the cage. Lloyd's cat is napping quietly for once, curled up in the corner.

Kai leans over, studying it. "And you're sure this is the one he wanted?"

Rachel nods. "Positive," she says. She should know, she's been hiding that one in the back when others come in. For no reason, of course, just...she _did_ tell Lloyd she'd keep an eye on her.

"Great," Kai says, straightening. "I'll take her."

"Okay!" Rachel grins. "Awesome, I can get you all the paperwork right now. If you wanna go ahead and take her with a cage you can, and if you wanted to just buy food and stuff here, we can look at-"

" _Ah_...actually," Kai interrupts quickly. "Here's, uh, here's the tricky part." He glances over his back, as if watching for someone. "I can't actually take it with me until like, Christmas Eve-ish. Is that okay?"

"Oh, uh, sure, I can keep her here, easy," Rachel blinks. "I'll just have her cage tagged. If you want me to get all her files and stuff drawn up too, I can do that in the meantime."

"That'd be great," Kai says appreciatively. He chews on his lip. "Here's the other part. I need it to be kept secret that _I_ bought it. Like, silent as the grave secret."

"From Lloyd?"

"From _anyone_ ," Kai says, glancing around him as if the walls have ears. He gives a slightly shamed smile. "I, uh, may be going against a few orders for this."

"Ah," Rachel says, as if she totally understands. Which she doesn't. "Yeah, okay, I can do that. I'll keep it anonymous for now."

"Thanks," Kai says, and he looks like he means it, relief flashing in his eyes. "Normally I wouldn't…go behind everyone like this, but it's been - Lloyd's been-"

Kai cuts himself off, as if having remembered who he's talking to. Rachel doesn't miss the look that crosses his face though, and she bites her lip. She's known Lloyd for like…less than a week, maybe? But she doesn't need to be a genius to realize that the tone of his texts have kinda taken a nose-dive from when she first started talking to him.

"Is, um…" Rachel hesitates, still a little ( _a lot_ ) intimidated. "Is Lloyd…okay?" she finally asks, proud when her voice only cracks the slightest bit. Kai's head snaps up, eyes narrowed, and Rachel flinches back.

"I'm just asking, genuinely," she says quickly, throwing her hands up. "He's, uh, we've been texting, and he seems kinda…down, that's all."

A cross between fond exasperation and frustration crosses Kai's face as he runs a hand over it, muttering. "Of _course_ he gave you his number, doesn't even know what common sense is, at this point-"

Kai sighs, and Rachel watches him silently. "It's his father," he finally says. "Though I'm sure you could've guessed that, if you know anything about who he is."

"Oh," Rachel says, looking down. Yeah, she could've guessed that one. Even though Lloyd hasn't said anything about it (he doesn't say much of _anything_ about Garmadon), Jin had called her the other day, sounding pretty concerned and asking her to start texting Lloyd about anything happy and normal.

"If he'd just _talk_ to me, then maybe I could help, but he's so darn — he needs to talk to his father, but he's not gonna, and I don't-"

Kai's rant cuts off, and Rachel's heart twists a bit at how miserably exhausted he looks. The only times she's seen Kai on TV he's always been smiling brightly — winking, maybe, and a little full of himself — but she'd never imagined seeing an expression like _this_ on someone she's always seen so strong.

 _Is this what it's like behind the scenes?_ she thinks to herself, chewing on her lip. Gosh, she kinda wants to help, but she doubts Kai is really meaning to tell her all this in the first place, and she's just some clueless high-schooler, so-

"Why…" _No, no shut up_ , y _ou don't know anything_ , Rachel mentally yells at herself. _This isn't your business, stay out!_

She glances at Kai again. Well...she's already dove headfirst into this thing, hasn't she. "Why doesn't his dad just go to him?" she speaks up.

Kai's eyebrows furrow. "Huh?"

"Lloyd's dad is the one who screwed up, right?" Rachel says, tentatively. "So like, normally, if my dad screwed up super bad — not _that_ bad, obviously — but still, I'd want _him_ to come apologize to _me_. And then like, take me to Disney World, or buy me a new gaming station to make up for it. So maybe he can...do something like that? It's the holidays, too, so maybe he could like, get him a…a ninja thing, instead…." What _is_ the Disney World equivalent for ninja celebrities?, Rachel muses.

"I actually think Lloyd would go for Disney World just fine," Kai mutters under his breath. He looks at her again, but the guarded look has lightened. He looks more curious now, as if actually turning her words over in his head. "You might…have a point there," he admits, his expression setting determinedly as he stares at the wall. "It'd be...hard, but I've been in the _mood_ …"

Rachel's mouth falls open. He's actually _considering_ her completely uninformed advice? Holy wow-

Kai is quiet for a moment, looking like he's trying to decide a course of action. He finally blinks, shaking himself back, and looks at her, his eyes narrowing again. "Hey, by the way, your parents weren't killed by say, the Great Devourer or anything related, were they?"

"Um, _no?_ " Rachel blinks. "They're…they're both alive."

"Hm," Kai squints at her. "And none of them are evil, or anything?"

"Definitely not," Rachel snorts, unable to stop herself. "My dad won't even kill the spiders in our garden."

"Uh-huh," Kai says, thoughtfully. "And you don't have any evil brothers, or other relatives?"

"No way," Rachel says, sighing. "Just stubborn little brats who never listen to me."

Kai snorts. "I feel _that_ one," he mutters. He looks outside briefly, then back to her.

"…and you don't secretly run the mafia, or something like that?"

Rachel gives a high-pitched, nervous laugh that she _really_ hopes doesn't sound like she's guilty of anything. Because she's totally not, but she bets that's what the princess seemed like, and is she _sure_ she doesn't have a criminal record-?

"I'm just trying to make it through high school," she says, quickly. "There is - there is no way, trust me, I barely even passed my driver's license test last month."

"Huh," Kai says. "That's good, then." He breaks off, dissolving into muttering stuff like _forgot about that_ , and _still gotta get that punk to take his_.

Rachel shifts from foot to foot, watching him. "Um, so-"

"Well, thanks for the help then, Rachel," Kai suddenly announces. He pins her with a glare, and Rachel tries not to dive behind the counter. Man, she was right — Kai _is_ the protective one. Rachel's got zero ill-will toward Lloyd, but if she did, Kai probably could've scared it out of her just by _looking_ like that.

He finally seems to decide that she's not a heartless murderer bent on killing his brother, because he straightens, his expression lightening. "You're still good with keeping this between us, right?" he says, winking at her as he smiles.

Rachel, weak fool that she is, feels her cheeks burn again. "Uh - yeah, of course, I'll take it - take it the grave, haha."

"Great," Kai grins. "Have a nice holiday, then."

"Oh thank you, have a nice - a nice ninja!" Somebody just kill her already, please. "I mean - a nice Christmas!"

Kai just laughs, waving as he strides out the door. Rachel waves at his back, her hand falling weakly as she watches him disappear down the streets. She immediately feels the urge to slam her head against the counter. _Great_.

 _"Have a nice ninja?"_ she mouthes to herself, groaning. Good to know Rachel's making catastrophically terrible first impressions all over the place this week.

Her phone dings again, and Rachel glances down. Well, at least it seems it went alright with Lloyd, she thinks, a grin making its way on her face. She slouches over on her elbows, thumbing the lock off and typing back a reply. The doorbell suddenly jingles again, and Rachel quickly snaps up, wondering who's gonna walk in _now_. Cyrus Borg? The First Spinjitzu Master himself? Oh yeah, she's gotta remember to ask Lloyd if he's actually the grandson of-

The intruder steps inside, and she relaxes, slouching back down with a huff. "Well, well, look who finally decided to show up to work," she calls. "The hospital kids missed their usual delivery, y'know."

"You try getting all those flowers to grow during winter," her _very late_ coworker huffs, rubbing at his nose as he pulls his hat off. "And don't even _mention_ poinsettias, I'm sick of those."

" _Hm_ , excuses," Rachel grins. "But you really missed out, man-"

"Yeah, yeah, you can guilt-trip me later, okay?"

 _Rude._ He's gotta interrupt her too, huh? Rachel makes a face. She has to drop this one on him _properly_. "By the way, have you found a date to the winter dance thing yet?" he asks. "If you don't go I'm gonna egg your lab desk later for ditching me."

Rachel blinks, momentarily distracted. Aw man, she forgot that was coming up. "I don't want a date," she stalls. "I told you, I'm not even gonna _try_ for a relationship until my grades are high enough that my mom's blood pressure goes back down."

He rolls his eyes. "I didn't mean like _that_. Like a friend or something, since conventional standards require you gotta bring somebody."

" _Ooh_ , conventional standards," Rachel rolls her eyes back. "Why can't you just go with me then?"

"I told you, I'm going with Gene's cousin so we can prank him the whole time, remember? We've been plotting this for months."

"Oh yeah, forgot about that," Rachel mutters, frowning. "Okay, fine, continuing your long-time grudge is an acceptable excuse, I guess. Still doesn't help me out…" She leans her chin into her hands, chewing on her lip. Stupid school dances and their dumb standards, now she's gotta find someone who won't be _boring_ the entire night-

Well… _huh_. Rachel snorts. It's a totally crazy idea, and he'd probably say no — definitely say no, most likely — but it _would_ be a pretty normal-happy-teenager thing to do, right?

"As a matter of fact, I have a _very cool_ potential person," Rachel says, slyly. "I met them at the hospital."

"Nice."

"While you ditched."

"Okay, I _said_ -"

"You're not gonna _believe_ who."

"Uh-huh."

"You're _so_ gonna regret not coming, Bradley-"

"I told you, it's just Brad!" he huffs, pushing a curl of dark hair from his eyes as he keys open the cash register. "You sound like my aunt, just come out with it already."

"Lloyd _Garmadon_ ," Rachel grins, still slightly giddy over the fact that she gets to say that. "You know, the Green Ninja? He was — hey, are you okay?"

Rachel frowns, watching her friend in concern. Because like, yeah, she realizes that Lloyd Garmadon is a famous name to drop, but Brad " _protect-our-salaries-with-your-life"_ Tudabone dropping the entire cash box to the floor to gape at her seems a little like overkill.


	18. Chapter 18

**I'm realizing that all the Cole-centered chapters are literally just people loving and appreciating him, and you know what I'm pretty cool with that.**

 **Anyways! Died there on you guys again for a bit, but I'm back with a Jay and Cole chapter (Jay pov's are simultaneously super difficult and super fun, and I always end up suspiciously relating to him). There's more Garmadon coming up next though, so don't worry, I won't leave that hanging too long ;)**

 **Thank you so much as always to all the wonderful people who review! You're the reason this fic is even still going right now (that and...that and the need for Garmadad closure, but mostly you guys) and I really can't thank you all enough!**

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Crying into his pillow because he's a shameful loser at three in the morning sometimes aside, Jay really just doesn't _do_ the whole broody-miserable-silence thing. Like yeah, he's tried it once or twice, mostly just copying what he's seen Cole or Kai do, but Jay's a lot more likely to say, sigh miserably every two minutes until he gets attention, or completely disassociate from reality long enough to accidentally convince his teammates that he's gone insane.

(He still feels kinda bad for stressing Kai out that much in the First Realm, but Jay's sure he's done _something_ at some point to have had it coming. Kai isn't an innocent here.)

At any rate, Jay's not one for the dark and miserable. Why anyone _would_ be is beyond him, really, because who wouldn't want to be happy and optimistic if they could pick? Even if staying optimistic all the time is super hard — he gets why Lloyd looks two seconds from keeling over at all times lately, carrying the optimism torch for the four of them that long's gotta suck — Jay _does_ try. He wants to be happy. Jay likes being happy, and he likes it when other people are happy.

And that's him, he guesses — Jay just likes making people _smile_. He's always loved it, if only because being able to make people laugh is _fun_ , and not because he's got any self-worth or attention-seeking issues tied to it at _all_ , don't you go suggesting it, but — lately it's been an especially intense kind of need, with his family. Because he maybe kinda spent a lot of time making them cry and stuff instead not too long ago, since his useless skull wouldn't keep itself in one piece long enough for him to smash through one tiny, measly wall.

Ugh. _Cole's_ head probably would've been fine.

(Jay quickly banishes the thought though, because he's seen the video footage, and the image of Cole smashing through a wall like Jay did is — it's not a happy one, Jay's just gonna go ahead and stuff that one deep down and never think about it again.)

Anyways. Jay likes making people happy, specifically his family, and it's almost _Christmas_ , which is prime making-people-happy time of the year — they can't have anyone miserable _now_ , not after everything they went through with the stupid Oni battle! This is the time for decorating and bad Christmas movies and like, gooey sappy family stuff Kai pretends not to buy into but _totally_ loves. It's the time to go all-out and spoil everybody rotten with presents that'll make 'em smile.

Unfortunately, it's proving to be a little more difficult this year, because as-per-usual, Garmadon is ruining _everything_.

"D'you think it'd cheer Lloyd up if I got my dad no. 2 to get him a signed complete collection of the _Starfarer_ series?" Jay muses aloud, chewing on the end of his pencil as he stares at the messy list scrawled on the notebook in his lap. He's about halfway through his little list of names, but _as usual_ , he's stuck on a few certain people.

Cole exhales wearily, and the halting piano music Jay was just getting used to slows, Cole's fingers hesitating over the keys. "No idea," he murmurs, and Jay bites his lip at how tired he sounds. "I mean, at this point, it might, but he'd probably be faking it again."

"Sounds like the green bean," Jay mutters. No one's got an acting degree in faking it like Lloyd. (Not that the rest of them are any _better_ , granted, but if you're the baby of the family you get just called out on your terrible habits more often, sorry Lloyd.)

Cole shakes his head. "Ask Kai," he says. "Or Nya, maybe. If anyone can crack Lloyd, it's them."

"But those are my _other two people_ ," Jay moans, flopping back on the couch he's sprawled across and enjoying the extra bounce. Mr. Brookstone might have terrible taste in wall decor, but he's got great taste in couch cushions. "I can't ask them what to get Lloyd for Christmas, I don't even know what I'm getting _them_."

Cole snorts, and the piano music picks up a bit. "You don't know what you're getting _Nya?_ Might wanna get on that one first."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Jay mutters, scratching the pencil across his list again. So far he's got nothing by Nya's name except some hearts and a bunch of crossed-out scribblings about jewelry vs. high-powered weaponry — _ooh_ , hey, what about jewelry that _is_ a high-powered weapon?

"What, like earring tasers?"

Jay flushes. He didn't even realize he was talking out loud. Stupid head injury.

…'cause that's totally the only thing to blame.

"Whatever, Mr. Skeptic, I don't hear you throwing out any good ideas," Jay mutters, slouching further against the couch.

"That's 'cause I finished all my shopping with Zane a month ago, so I wouldn't have to worry like this," Cole says neatly, punctuating his sentence with a particularly off-key note from the piano. They both wince in unison. "I shouldn't be _that_ out of practice," Cole mutters under his breath, trying for the scale he was playing again, this time with extra force as the poor keys clatter beneath his fingers. There's another jarringly off-pitch note and Cole curses, giving up for the moment.

Jay watches through narrowed eyes as Cole makes a pained face, pulling his hand back and rubbing at his wrist. He splays his fingers out against the edge of the piano, hissing slightly as he stretches them fully. Jay can see the thick scars that rope around Cole's fingers and wrists even from where he's curled up on the couch, and he winces. Those kind of scars probably don't help when it comes to piano playing — raised lines from stray katanas, rough marks where the skin's been scraped raw, shiny patches where blasts or busted gear had burned him (Jay recognizes one such mark as a stray blast from Kai, though he knows full well Cole will never breath a word of it to him. It's not like Jay will, either).

Stretching his fingers one last time, Cole pulls his hands up, waving them briefly before letting them hover back over the keys. Jay watches curiously as he drifts them almost lazily over the keys, brows furrowing as he likely tries to remember the notes through practice and muscle memory alone. Jay is _debating_ telling Cole that there's sheet music stacked on the floor three inches from his feet, but he finally decides he'll let it go on a little longer. There's a comedic timing aspect to it, y'know, and it's revenge for the snarky comments Cole's been giving him.

Also, it's entertaining enough as it is to watch Cole trying to figure the right notes out.

He gets into a nice rhythm eventually though, the first few beats of _Fur Elise_ finally recognizable, and Jay feels his eyes begin to droop lazily. _That won't do_ , he thinks, trying to stifle a yawn. He's supposed to be working here. Time to kill the nice quiet atmosphere they've got going.

"Tha's pretty," he yawns, his head raising an inch from the couch.

Cole snorts, eyes still glued intently to the piano keys. "Yeah, and _boring_ , apparently. Five notes in and you're already falling asleep."

Jay straightens up, stretching an arm over his head. "Nah, that's a compliment," he says, stifling another yawn. "It means you've got like, soothing melodies going, or whatever."

"Nice."

"I'm serious," Jay waves his hand. "It's _relaxing._ Which is a good thing, because I need more relaxing in my life."

"I wouldn't call it that," Cole says, but there's a hint of a wistful smile on his face now. "But point. Relaxing is…we haven't gotten a lot of that lately, huh."

"Understatement," Jay grumbles. "Can't get five minutes of peace around here without a bunch of Oni dropping from the sky."

"Don't you dare jinx us," Cole pins him with a glare. "I bet someone's up there just waiting for that invitation."

"Geez, chill out, it was just a joke," Jay says, rolling his eyes. He pauses, chewing on his lip. Well…maybe it _would_ be smart to keep those kind of comments to a minimum. With their luck, and all.

But _still_.

"Besides, it's not like we're defenseless if they do," Jay argues. "We've always got Sensei Wu to banish them to heck like he did last time, right?"

Cole's fingers slow, hesitating over the keys as the notes grow quieter. Jay watches him warily — he knows Cole like he knows the engine of the _Bounty_ , and that kind of look on his face doesn't mean anything _great_.

"…right, Cole?"

Cole meets him with totally reassuring silence.

Anyone else with common sense would probably just wait it out and let Cole explain on his own time, but Jay isn't anyone else with common sense, and he gets anxiety when people pause dramatically like this, so he's not about to sit around and just _wait_ for Cole to spill.

"What?" Jay pesters, fingers wrapping nervously over the edge of the couch. "What's wrong?"

Cole shakes his head, but he doesn't meet Jay's eyes. His voice is quiet when he finally speaks up.

"I don't think Wu doesn't has those powers anymore."

Jay snaps up straight so quickly he's pretty sure he cracks something in his neck. " _What?_ "

Cole doesn't look at him, still staring at the black and white keys. Maybe Cole's just poking at him, or Jay misheard — the doctors did say he'd give himself lasting head trauma if he wasn't careful, and Jay's kinda been cheating a bit the last few days, so maybe it's just—

"You were unconscious," Cole says, his voice small. "When we won-"

"Well duh, but I thought-"

"Can I finish, please?"

Jay cuts off, flushing. Cole's still looking at the piano keys like they spell the fate on Ninjago on them.

Cole exhales heavily, his cheeks puffing up slightly as he blows the breath out. "You went down. Lloyd…went down pretty quick after, which didn't leave anyone in their…right minds, exactly. It was only a matter of time before the rest of us followed."

Jay swallows, remembering the thick expanse of stitches that line Lloyd's side, the ugly burn marks that surround it. Remembers the feeling of the ridges of stitches that decorate his own head.

"After Lloyd…well. Garmadon kinda lost it. In a bad way. Wu…kinda lost it too," Cole continues, his eyes miles away. "I didn't — I couldn't do much, but I was going to — I wanted to help. I could've." Cole's fingers tap the keys absently, not hard enough to produce any real sound.

"Wu gave me one order," he says. "Keep the team alive."

Jay's hand pulls at a loose thread in the couch cushion, twisting it anxiously between his fingers.

"And then they were fighting, and we were running," Cole says, his head drooping. "I didn't — I couldn't do anything else, I didn't want to fail him more than I already had—"

"And you didn't!" Jay finally cuts in, unable to stop himself. "You didn't fail Sensei, you kept us alive — carried my dumb useless self out of there and everything!"

"…actually, I had Lloyd," Cole says. "Nya was already running with you."

"Oh," Jay blinks. Well, it's not like he _didn't_ already know he was the ill-fated damsel in this relationship. "Okay. But still! You did everything you could."

Cole's eyebrows get that little furrow they always do when he's overthinking something, and he shrugs. "Maybe."

Okay, it's not the reaction Jay was _really_ looking for, but he'll leave it alone for now. He bites his lip, trying his best not to prod, because Cole look super broody right now — but geez, he can't just leave Jay _hanging_ like this.

"But powers?" Jay blurts out. "Sensei doesn't have them anymore?"

Cole shakes his head, then finally meets Jay's gaze, his eyes conflicted. "That's what he told me," Cole says. "He — it was a while before the Firstbourne showed up to finish the Oni off, and they'd already…"

Cole trails off, and Jay finally recognizes the expression he's seeing on Cole's face. It looks a lot like fear.

"They're not human," Cole murmurs. "You would think we'd get that by now, but actually seeing it…Sensei was _terrifying_ , Jay. Garmadon, too — I've never seen anything like that."

Cole looks shaken, and Jay feels his own mouth drying up, just a bit. He knows — he _knows_ Sensei and Garmadon are the children of the FSM. It's easy to forget sometimes, but when Sensei does Spinjitzu, or Lloyd gets that odd gleam in his eyes, there's a feeling that they're very much, distinctly, _not human_. And normally, Jay's fine with that. So his Sensei and teammate-slash-little-brother are eldritch-descended beings of untold power. Cool! They can put in a good word with the FSM when Jay dies, or something. Not that _that's_ something he wants to worry about anytime soon, but yeah, it's cool.

But the kind of power Cole's describing, and the look on his face — apparently, Jay hasn't seen _anything_.

"So they just…used too much power?" Jay finally says, weakly.

Cole looks away again, shrugging. "I don't know," he says, fingers clenching into a fist before unclenching. "I have a few guesses. 'Cause Garmadon's not his Oni self anymore, and I don't even know if _he_ still has powers, but…Wu told me we can't rely on him anymore."

Jay swallows, his fingers finally pulling the thread straight from the couch with a quiet little _snap_. Cole hasn't said anything else, but it's pretty clear to Jay what he's thinking. They can't count on _Wu_ to bail them out anymore. No one's about to suggest throwing that kind of burden on Lloyd right now, even if he is next in line. So Cole's probably coming to the completely unfounded, stupid decision that they're all gonna rely on him to fix everything they manage to mess up from now on.

…maybe it's a _bit_ founded, Jay thinks, chewing on his lip as he remembers the last few days.

Oh well! No better time like the present to fix that.

"You know, we haven't really relied on him like that in a while, anyways," Jay says, slowly. "After everything with the Time Twins, remember? We were doing pretty good on our own."

Cole turns slowly to look at him. "Ninjago was taken over by a homicidal version of Garmadon and a giant rock monster. We ended up stranded in another realm. Lloyd almost _died_."

"Well, it's not like that's unusual to start with," Jay says, flippantly ignoring Cole's glare. "Lloyd's always almost dying. So are like, all of us. But everybody's breathing just fine now. I think we do okay by ourselves. As long as we, you know, work together."

Cole looks down. "We wouldn't need to if I hadn't been a sub-par excuse for a leader."

Jay blinks rapidly. Hit the brakes, _what?_ Where did that come from? Apparently Jay has _massively_ underestimated the depths of Cole's angst episode here, _geez_.

Jay opens his mouth, then closes it. Okay. Alright. This is fine! It's pretty clear he needs a better strategy than just babbling on here, though. Cole's doubting himself again, probably because he — what, thinks he could've done better? Stopped Sensei from going all-heroic and throwing caution to the wind? Stopped the Oni himself? There was zero chance of him stopping Lloyd and Jay from being reckless morons and landing themselves in the hospital in the first place, so Jay's not even gonna touch that one—

Like a lightbulb going off above his head, Jay remembers. Oh, _perfect_.

"Oh!" he yelps, vaulting from the couch. "One sec, I got something for you!"

Cole stares after him in utter bafflement as Jay sprints back to their shared room, digging through the backpack he brought back from the hospital after his checkup the other day. He can't _believe_ he forgot about this, typical brainless Walker move here, where'd it go—

"Ha!" Jay heel-turns and dashes back for the living room, skidding across Mr. Brookstone's fancy carpet before dropping down on the piano bench next to Cole.

"Here," he says breathlessly, thrusting the slightly-crumpled card into his hands. It takes Cole a minute to grab onto it, Jay shaking it at him impatiently. "One of the kids at the hospital gave it to me on the way out yesterday. Said it was for the 'big ninja that does ballet'."

Cole's eyebrows shoot up in surprise, and he finally catches hold of the card, opening it carefully. Jay tries not to watch him too intently, but he can't help furiously studying the look on Cole's face as he reads the crayon-decorated card. It's not like Jay knows what it says, or anything, 'cause he'd _totally_ never open something that wasn't for him-

"See?" Jay finally bursts out. He stabs at the card with a finger. "This kid. She says you made her happy. With your dorky ballet dancing, too! If one little kid in the hospital thinks you're so great, just imagine how great your teammates think you are."

Cole doesn't say anything, just blinks really fast and keeps staring at the card.

"People love you, you dumb dirtclod," Jay continues, insistently. Because if Cole isn't gonna see how great and capable he is, then Jay's gonna _beat_ it into him. With - with words, that is. "They've got faith in you, and so do we! But you don't _always_ have to be the strong one who shoves his problems to the side. You don't always have to fix everything. None of us do - we're a _team_ for a reason. So - so have some faith in us, huh?"

Jay nudges him at that, hoping it doesn't come off as almost-hysterical as he sounds. He's about two seconds from breaking into incoherent rambling again, and he really _doesn't_ wanna do that because then Cole won't understand a word he's saying and that's the entire point of this thing-

Cole sniffs, and Jay's brain comes to a screeching halt. _Ah_ , he realizes. Cole was blinking super fast because he was trying to keep his eyes from watering up.

"So uh, yeah," Jay tries, cringing at how awkward he sounds. Ugh, people skills, he doesn't _do_ sad stuff well— "Do you, uh, is the card helping?"

There's a beat of silence, and Cole carefully runs a thumb over the messy, scrawled hand-writing in dark purple crayon on the page.

"She says she liked my hair bun," Cole says, thickly.

Jay stares at him. He glances down at the card, then back up at Cole.

"Well obviously she had _that_ part wrong," he says, desperately trying not to burst into snickers. Of all the things to take away from what the kid wrote, Cole's gonna go with—

"Did you underline the part about me being her hero, or was that already there?"

Jay shakes his head, grinning. "Nah, the hot pink gel pen? That was her. The sticker that says you're ' _Toad-ally Terrific'_ is hers too." Jay squints at the sticker again, with its bright motivational frog. "Oh _nice_ , I was running out of puns to use on Lloyd too—"

Cole gives a wet laugh, and Jay feels supremely pleased with himself.

Cole reads the card over again, fingers tracing the edge of it, before smiling softly. "I should visit again sometime."

"You can after you spend the holidays with _us_ ," Jay says. "And hey. Cole, hey, serious talk here."

Cole glances him in trepidation, and Jay narrows his eyes.

"You know _darn_ well that when Lloyd sets his mind on doing something stupid, there's no stopping him," Jay says, firmly. "That goes for me, too. Half this team's sacrificial morons, and it's not on you to stop all of us from constantly getting ourselves killed. Which, by the way," Jay bumps Cole on the head with the heel of his hand so he'll _look_ at him again. "You actually did. Keep us from dying, that is. Wu told you to keep the team alive, right?" Jay gestures to himself, giving Cole a lopsided smile. "Seems like you did pretty good to me."

Cole looks back at the card, and the tension he'd been holding in his shoulders finally, _finally_ seems to ease out a bit as he nods.

"So," Jay says, crossing his arms and pinning Cole with a look. "You get it, then? Not gonna go slipping back into the moody self-doubt stuff you always get on me for?"

Cole wipes surreptitiously at his eyes, giving Jay a weak smile as he rolls his eyes. "Yeah," he says, quietly. "I got it. Thanks, Jay."

Jay's blunt defense of humor wavers, and he looks down, kicking his leg out lightly. "You're welcome," he says. "Just don't forget it, okay?"

"I won't," Cole says. "As long as _you_ don't forget to put your own safety on a higher priority."

"Yeah, yeah, you play hero one time," Jay mutters, looking out the window as his cheeks heat. The snow's picked up again, bitter winds howling outside as they rattle against the windowpane.

There's a particularly strong gust against the window, and Cole gives a weird little shudder, his shoulders jumping up. Jay frowns at him. Is he hiccuping? Is he having a seizure? Is it the first one, hopefully, or something non-life-threatening—

"Stupid weather," Cole grumbles, wrapping his arms around himself. "It's freezing in here."

— _shivering_ , ah that makes a…lot more sense. Jay shakes his head, about to agree with him, then remembers something, grinning,

"Really?" Jay says, slyly. "Cause somebody told me that back when you worked as a lumberjack up in the mountains, all you wore was some macho vest, and you were fine then."

Cole turns scarlet. "Lloyd told you that?" he hisses, looking betrayed. "It was the work uniform-"

"Oh yeah, any excuse to go shirtless, Mr. I'mma-Rip-My-Sleeves-Off-Every-Given-Chance— _ow_!" Jay rubs his head where Cole whacked him with the card, glaring. "I'm still _sore_ there, low blow-"

Jay abruptly cuts off, because Cole suddenly looks like he's actually had an aneurysm this time. He's frozen in place with his expression all pale and horrified and guil-

Oh, no, not _again_.

"I'm fine," Jay huffs, quickly bringing his hand down back into his lap. "You barely grazed me with _paper_ and you know it, so don't go spiraling into another guilt complex now."

Cole shakes his head, refusing to meet Jay's eyes. "You're still healing — I should know better, and I forgot _again_ -"

"Good," Jay says forcefully, grabbing Cole's arm before he can curl further in on himself. "Good. I want you to forget about it. I want you guys to tease me and mess around and - and not walk around on eggshells around me anymore, _please_."

Jay shakes Cole's arm side to side a bit, trying not to sound too much like he's begging (because he totally is, he's losing it here.)

"I'm serious, do you have any idea how annoying it is?" Jay continues, imploring. "Nya only rolls her eyes at me once a day. Kai hasn't made a single zaptrap joke in two whole weeks. And now you, you come in looking like it's my funeral every five seconds. Am I losing my charm or something? Did the concussion end up having other side effects, and I totally lost any sense of humor or natural charm I had?"

Jay pauses, this horrifying thought not having occurred to him. Sure, _he_ thinks he's as funny as he's always been, but what if that's just the head trauma? He'd been so relieved not to have ended up with amnesia or blindness or anything like that, he totally forgot to check if his glowing personality had been tragically ripped from him—

"Jay, back to earth, please."

Jay blinks rapidly, looking up at Cole, who's all up in his face with a concerned expression. "What?"

Cole rolls his eyes. "I _said_ , you're as charmingly annoying as always, zaptrap. I don't think there's anything that could take _that_ away from you."

"Oh." Jay considers this. "Uh, good, then. Nice. Still got it."

Cole turns his eyes skywards again, and Jay tries not to flush. Searching quickly for an out from where this train wreck of a conversation is heading, he turns his attention to the piano in front of them, plinking at one of the keys. "Hey, you still remember which keys are which, right? Wanna teach me?"

Cole sputters. "I know what every key is called, I'm a musician!" Jay eyes him, and Cole ducks his head, cheeks coloring. "I…used to be. Am sort of. A musician."

Jay snickers. "Alright then, show me how to play your butchered Christmas carol, oh great-skilled musician."

Cole elbows him in the side, and Jay grins brightly at the utter lack of guilt in his expression. _There we go_.

"Fine," Cole sighs. "Just don't go falling asleep on me, okay? This one here is the middle C…"

* * *

For the first five minutes, Jay's fine. He learns three whole notes, which is pretty impressive for Cole's burgeoning teaching skills.

But then he makes the critical mistake of leaning his head against Cole's shoulder, and it goes downhill pretty quickly.

Jay knows he's supposed to be paying attention to what Cole's saying, and he really does want to learn, but Cole's shoulder is just so _comfy_. Comfy and warm, and sleeping sounds a lot more fun than thinking right now. Besides, it's been _forever_ since Cole's let him hang off him like a barnacle, and what's the use of having friends if you're not gonna use them as unwilling pillows every now and then?

Jay's eyes flutter closed, and the piano music grows muffled, even as it smoothes out into something more seamless. Jay feels the vibrations of Cole's quiet laughter through his shoulder.

"Just this time, zaptrap," he vaguely hears Cole say. "Since it's the holidays."

Jay will take it.


	19. Chapter 19

**Oh, Misako. You continue to remain one of the biggest enigmas of a character I've ever had to write. I'm going to keep most of my thoughts about her to myself, but the Garmadon family's a dramatic bunch, and she's no exception. I'm writing her the way I want to see her, I guess, and that's all I can say.**

 **Moving along with the daily Garmadon Family Angst tm, maybe one of these days they can all learn how to properly talk things out to each other :') I think one of my favorite dynamics on the show is the constant antagonistic one between Garmadon and Kai, which never fails to make me laugh because they're both dumb children about it to the bitter end. This one's...this one's a less amusing take on it, but Kai's totally got a flamethrower stuffed in his back pocket for this conversation.**

 **Huge thanks as always to everyone who takes the time to review, you guys continue to be the best! (Especially the guests and people I can't pm back, I appreciate every one of you more than words too :'D).**

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 _"_ _My father's somewhere in there. I saved you once, I'll save you again."_

 _"_ _There is nothing left to save!"_

Garmadon has to physically fight the urge to turn away as he watches the recorded fight on the small screen. Every continued second of the video just makes him sicker — makes the awful burning in his chest grow worse.

 _"_ _L-listen to me! You don't have to do this!"_

Garmadon already knows what comes next. He won't listen to Lloyd, and the camera will shudder as he throws his own son through a wall, Lloyd's pained cry echoing with the crunch of concrete.

It won't be the last time in this recording, either.

Garmadon exhales shakily, the urge to be sick growing stronger as he watches. It wasn't until his fourth watch through that he noticed the way Lloyd's eyes flicker out just before he charges him a final time, changing from bright to dark to bright again, and this time it's all the more obvious. He watches the burst of green sputter across Lloyd's chest — it was trying to protect him, that's the best he can figure. Even though the over-use of it by that point must have been—

Garmadon's hands clench. _That bad._ It had been bad enough that Lloyd's power had decided that physically paining him — possibly exhausting both itself and its user forever— was worth that meager protection it could offer from Garmadon's blows.

No wonder Lloyd won't get near him. Garmadon doesn't know if he himself will ever be able to go near his son again, after seeing this.

The fight continues onscreen, and he briefly buries his face in his hands, elbows propped heavily up on the table.

Guilt is far from an unfamiliar emotion to Garmadon. It's been his constant companion for what seems like his entire life, following him with every misplaced action spurred by the venom and the often drastic consequences to result after. He's been guilty over Wu, guilty over Misako, guilty over every last person with the misfortune to have been born in his father's cursed country that's suffered under Garmadon's hand.

Lloyd is no exception to this guilt, but out of everyone he's harmed, it is, perhaps, Lloyd that cuts the most. Because for all that Garmadon wishes he could love the world like his son does, for all that he wishes he could possess that same self-sacrificing compassion towards others — he doesn't. The guilt he feels toward some deeds falls inconsequential in comparison to others. And out of everyone he's hurt, Lloyd deserved it least. Not only because he's had little to no hand in Garmadon's constant failings (quite the opposite, in fact), but because Lloyd is one of the precious few, if only, that Garmadon had _sworn_ , with everything left in him, never to hurt, in any sort of mindset at all.

 _So much for that promise_ , Garmadon thinks bitterly. It isn't as if he's unused to failure, to breaking promise after promise, but the sheer cruelty of the _way_ he broke his promise to Lloyd this time is staggering.

It's a wonder his son is even alive, though that's no thanks to him.

Garmadon doesn't remember much about the final battle against the Oni. He knows that Wu tells him they were losing. Tells them that if it hadn't been for Garmadon's last-minute turn, hadn't been for his howl of anguish, and the bloody spree of vengeance he'd torn through the Oni with after, Ninjago would have fallen, and they would all very likely be dead right now. Garmadon doesn't quite care as much as he should. All he can find it in himself to care about from those memories are the bloodied, horrible images of Lloyd run through with his ancestor's sword that will likely stay with him for the rest of his life.

Images that are only being matched in horror by every increasing minute Garmadon forces himself to rewatch this terrible recording. He cringes as Lloyd cries out again, his head clipping a chunk wreckage Garmadon had hurled at him, and he feels sick.

Garmadon can move past many things in his life, but he will never — _never_ , forgive himself for what he's done to Lloyd this time.

The tape playing in front of him finally reaches its climax, the Garmadon on-screen catching Lloyd by the neck and holding him like a broken doll. The image tears at his heart, but Garmadon cranes his head closer to the screen, listening. He's watched the tape over and over again, turned the volume to its highest, but he's still unable to decipher what he says to Lloyd in this moment, the sound too distorted in the recording for him to hear just _what_ is making his son's expression crumple into devastation worse than he's ever seen.

He's _never_ seen that look on Lloyd's face. Not during the fight with the Overlord, not the two times he's been forced to leave Garmadon to death, not even at any other moment in this horrible tape.

Garmadon can't remember what he said, but he knows full well that he will never forgive himself for it.

The moment ends as the on-screen Garmadon snarls, and he watches as he hurls Lloyd though the prison walls, his heart shattering with every crack, every merciless—

The screen clicks off. Garmadon blinks at the sudden absence, even as a rather large part of him exhales in relief at no longer having that terrible image in front of him. He didn't turn the screen off himself, and there are footsteps nearing, so he's guessing Misako has found it in herself to try and talk with him again.

Garmadon grinds his palms against his eyes, exhaling tightly as he bites the word out. "Misako, I told you-"

"I am _definitely_ not Misako."

Garmadon goes rigid. Though the last time he'd heard this voice it was thick with tears and desperate terror, it's no less recognizable in the quiet of his brother's rebuilt monastery. He braces himself, turning slowly to face the fire ninja — Ray's child, all fire and temper like his father was.

And Lloyd's staunch protector, Garmadon is reminded. Oh, he's sure Kai has words for him now.

Garmadon braces himself. "If you're here to accuse me, you can rest assured-"

"You have to go to him."

Garmadon blinks. "What?"

Kai takes an unsteady breath, and Garmadon watches the uncomfortable, clenching way his jaw works. This is paining him. "Lloyd," he finally says, tightly. "You have to make the first move."

Garmadon's eyebrows shoot up, even as his pulse quickens. Surely, he can't actually be encouraging what he thinks he is. He shakes his head, lowering his eyes.

"You know as well as I do that will only make things worse," he grits out. "What I've done-"

"I saw what you did, in _excruciating_ detail," Kai snaps, interrupting him. "And don't think for one second that I don't hate you for it." Garmadon doesn't flinch back at the venom in the boy's voice, but it's a near thing. Half of him wonders if Kai would take it as any sort of balm, that Garmadon hates himself far more than he ever could.

"But I also...I know it wasn't you," Kai exhales, and there's weariness replacing the venom in his voice now. Garmadon watches him carefully, half-disbelieving. "I know you care about him. But Lloyd — _Lloyd_ needs to know you care. Like, badly. It's…" Kai's shoulders hitch up, something in his expression spasming. "I can't fix this," he admits, hollowly. "He needs you, as much as I hate that."

Garmadon's mouth goes dry. Out of every conversation he's ever had with the boy that he can remember, he does not think he's ever seen Ray's son bare himself quite like this. It leaves him shaken, if only for what the words coming from his mouth are suggesting he wants him to do.

"But you have to be the one to reach out," Kai continues, regaining a little of his fire as he glares at him. "Because he's scared. He'll never tell you, but he's terrified, 'cause you were awful, so awful, and that's all he's got to go on right now. So you — you've gotta fix that."

Garmadon's eyes drop back to the floor, his heart sinking further. He knows full-well what he's done to Lloyd. He knows that his own son is terrified of him. He had thought, though, that out of everyone, Kai would understand how within his right Lloyd is to feel that way.

(He had more imagined the boy to demand Garmadon never set foot within a hundred feet of Lloyd again, actually, but this week is shaping up to be full of surprises.)

"Do you honestly think," Garmadon finally manages, exhaling on a bitter laugh. "That _I_ am capable of fixing anything?" His lip curls, expression brittle. "Do you even know what happened because of my mistake-"

"Of _course_ I know!" Kai snaps, his voice whip-like loud as his eyes spark in fury. "I was the one there with him, I was — I was the one who had to _burn my own brother_ to keep him alive! Do you know how _horrible_ that was?"

Garmadon realizes, with no small amount of alarm, that Kai's eyes are not sparking in only fury after all. They're glimmering, shining with tears that are seconds from falling.

The boy shakes his head, as if fighting back some swell of emotion. "And then we get to the hospital and they have to cut him open again, 'cause I might have made it worse, and—" Kai's voice cracks, and he wipes at his eyes, unashamed. "I'm going to have nightmares about that for the rest of my _life_ , but you don't see me running away!"

The accusation is painfully clear in his voice, and Garmadon bites back any retort he might have. Because he _has_ none. He's been keeping himself away, desperately trying to stifle the awful ache in his chest with the knowledge that if he never sees Lloyd again, he won't be able to hurt him again. But Kai's words are forcing him back to the issue he's been ignoring, the horrible line he's been dancing between — that while avoiding Lloyd may keep Garmadon from physically hurting him, he'll just become one more instance of a family member who's abandoned him, and that—

Surely, that couldn't be _worse_ than putting Lloyd in a coma, but the fear is there. The guilt is there.

Kai makes an agitated noise in his throat, and he shifts. He's growing tired of Garmadon's useless silence, he guesses. He expects that this is the end of their conversation, then.

"Here."

The boy's sharp word is all the warning Garmadon gets before a large book is thrown against his chest, the air rushing from him at the impact. He barely manages to grab the leather-bound book before it falls to the floor, blinking in confusion.

"Nya's been putting this together," Kai says, gruffly. Garmadon turns the book over in his hands, and quickly notes that it's a photo album, the pages crisp and glossy beneath his fingers as he hesitantly cracks it open.

"It was supposed to be for Lloyd," the boy continues, but the roughness in his tone softens, as it always does at the mention of Lloyd. "To show him that he's…that he's not just from something dark and miserable."

Garmadon's eyes go wide as they find the first picture, and there's suddenly a heavy weight on his chest, very much unlike the weight from watching the video.

"But maybe…maybe you could use it too."

Garmadon looks up at Ray's son, his eyes still wide. The boy shakes his head, his eyebrows pulling back into a glare as he looks at the floor.

"I can't help Lloyd without you," he says, sounding enormously displeased with this fact. "So you can - you can go on about your stupid guilt all day if you want, but I'm not gonna sit here and watch someone else run out on Lloyd, okay?" Kai turns the glare on him, and Garmadon is almost taken aback at the fierceness he finds. "You owe him your life, you know? It's the least you could do to _try_."

Garmadon's fingers clench around the book, which he's beginning to guess is filled with photos much like the one that's left such a pressing weight on his chest. He can't. He _cannot_ face Lloyd, cannot force himself to confront the damage he's done with his own hand, it'll be too painful to bear—

 _You were never there in the aftermath, but Lloyd took it terribly hard._

Wu's words awake in Garmadon's mind with a vengeance, and the resistance building in his chest withers and dies.

 _I do believe that the thought of letting you die again might have been too painful to bear yet again._

What right does Garmadon have, at this point, to speak of pain? To flee from fear, when everything he's ever taught his son is just the opposite?

"If…if he agrees," Garmadon finally speaks up, his voice rasping. "If Lloyd wishes it — I won't force any confrontation on him without his consent-"

"Obviously," Kai says, and Garmadon can almost feel the scornful _"no duh"_ resounding his words. "But you'd be the one to go to him. You meet on his terms, I can — help with that part, I guess — but you've gotta start the conversation."

Garmadon turns it over in his head, debating the boy's words. It's a futile gesture, of course, one that suggests Garmadon has any sort of choice in the matter. He already knows what he needs to do.

"I suppose you'll want me to swear I won't hurt him, as well," Garmadon exhales wearily, without thinking.

Kai stiffens, then looks at him with an almost frighteningly emotionless expression. "You've already hurt him," he says, his voice eerily calm in contrast to his previous fire. "I wasn't there to stop you then. But if you screw up this time? I _will_ kill you."

And Garmadon's had his doubts about the child in front of him, both as his corrupted self and a teacher — doubts of his resolve, his capability, his ability to see things through. But there is not a bone in his body right now that doubts Kai is anything less than deadly serious about that threat.

Garmadon inclines his head, and Kai gives a stiff little nod of what might be satisfaction. "So, yeah. I'll let you know. And you _better_ show up."

With that, Kai turns swiftly, making for the door like he's escaping from prison. He only pauses once he's out in the hall, leaning back briefly.

"I want that back, by the way," he says, gesturing toward the book still clutched tightly in Garmadon's hands. "You ruin it, I'll kill you for that too."

He's gone before Garmadon can even react, blinking as the boy likely makes a break for the monastery doors. The room feels heavily quiet in his absence, and Garmadon's shoulders slump, previous tension replaced by leaden exhaustion.

Footsteps far more quiet sound from the hall, and Garmadon doesn't need to catch the familiar whiff of perfume to know who's entered the room now.

"I probably should've warned you he was coming in," Misako says, a bit regretfully. Garmadon doesn't miss the hint of amusement in her voice, though.

He gives a breathless, humorless sort of laugh as he turns to her. "No," he sighs. "No, I think I deserved that."

"I'm afraid I can't argue with you there," Misako says ruefully, as she steps over to the curtained balcony. She pulls the shutters back, and Garmadon runs a hand over his eyes at the sudden brightness. Misako catches the gesture, and Garmadon swears he sees her roll her eyes.

"You can't seclude yourself in darkness for the rest of your life," she says, pointedly. "You'll start to grow mold in here."

Garmadon gives a surprised huff of offense. "I haven't been in here that long," he says, pointedly ignoring how his voice eerily resembles Lloyd's when he was a pouting child. He sobers at the reminder.

Misako seems to catch his expression falling, and she pauses, hovering awkwardly near the window.

"Did…did anything he say manage to get through to you, then?"

Garmadon raises an eyebrow. "I would've thought you'd have been eavesdropping."

Misako flushes. "I've been trying to leave that habit behind," she murmurs. "Besides," she straightens, her voice gaining strength again. "You look like someone's proclaimed your impending doom. I can only assume that means you're finally going to act."

"So you're all against me, then," Garmadon mutters.

"It's not like you're going to meet with your executioner," Misako shakes her head. "It's Lloyd, and you've had plenty of difficult conversations with him before."

"I know it's Lloyd," Garmadon says, tightly. "That's why I'm…hesitant. You know him, Misako, you've seen him, he's—"

"A boy with a heart that's just as easily broken as anyone else's," Misako says, her voice sharpening. "Not the Green Ninja, not some savior — he's Lloyd, he's human, and he's hurt."

"I know that," Garmadon snaps. "Misako, I know exactly how unforgivable it is what I've done."

She takes a breath, blowing it out carefully, seemingly lost for words. There's not much to say, anyways. They both know what Garmadon did.

They fall quiet, looking out over the windowed balcony where snow is still drifting lazily from the sky, finally having slowed to gentle flurries. Down in the city somewhere is their son, left once again to pick up the broken pieces of something his family ruined. Only this time, Garmadon thinks with a pang of guilt, that broken something is Lloyd himself.

"We're not the best parents, I suppose," Misako speaks up, quietly.

Garmadon gives a gruff, bitter snort. Misako looks down. "Fine. I'm a terrible parent."

Garmadon shakes his head. "Oh, Misako, I didn't mean — you know I'm the terrible parent, if anyone."

The guilt in Misako's eyes doesn't ebb. "At least you didn't have your full wits about you," she says, bitterly. "When you abandoned him. I knew what I was doing, and I did it anyways, best of intentions regardless."

"Did I?" Garmadon muses. "I chose to die the first two times, but I hardly tried, did I? And even before that, when I had some semblance of myself. He grew up alone. Why didn't I come get him?"

"Why did I leave him in the first place?" Misako says. "We've both left him time and time again, Garmadon. Don't take all the guilt on yourself, none of us are guiltless here."

"So we are terrible parents, then," Garmadon says, dully.

Misako opens her mouth, then shuts it, her expression creasing. Her hand comes up to pull at the edges of her grey-streaked hair, twisting into the strands in a nervous habit Garmadon recognizes with painful clarity. He stares at his own hands, eyes tracing the scars that line them. He begins to wonder if Lloyd bears any scars from their recent battles, then banishes the thought with a wave of self-loathing. Of course he does. Garmadon _threw_ him through a _wall_.

They remain silent for a beat, Misako silhouetted by the light streaming in from the window where she stands, Garmadon half-hunched over on the edge of the chair.

"...Lloyd's still here," she finally speaks up, quietly. "It's too late for a lot, but...it might not be too late to fix some things."

Garmadon looks down, fighting back a bitter laugh. _Fix_ things. Kai wanted him to fix Lloyd too. As if there's a proper way to apologize for breaking your own son inside and out, much less _fix_ it.

"He's good, Garmadon," Misako whispers. "He's such a good kid. He's better than either of us."

Garmadon nods, unsteadily. "I know," he says, thickly. "I _know_."

He looks up at Misako. She's turned her face to the window again, but that does little to disguise the gathering gleam at the edges of her eyes. Garmadon pushes himself from the chair, cautiously stepping over. He hesitates, briefly, and when Misako makes no move to pull away, he carefully wipes the tear from where its slipped down her cheek. She looks at him, looking desperately as if she's trying to smile.

A distant part of Garmadon remembers, if only for a beat, when they were happy. When it was easy to smile.

He's possessed all the power in the world before, and he'd sacrifice every bit of it to have those days back.

"I'll try," he says, his voice barely audible. "I don't know if I can help, but I _will_ try."

That seems to be enough for Misako. She nods tremulously, then leans against him, his own arm coming up around her, as if to draw the same comfort he used to find. He's surprised to find that the heavy weight, if only the smallest bit, lightens up against his chest.

He means it. He will try, his very best, if only because — if he can at least give Lloyd some sort of closure, that will be enough.

And if this is what breaks his and Lloyd's relationship for good, well...it's no less than he deserves.


	20. Chapter 20

**Give it up for chapter 20 folks, this is officially the longest fic I've ever written in my life! (Throwback to when I used to think that five chapters was a lot, ahaha).**

 **So I'm not entirely sure how I feel about Brad here - I'm sticking him about a freshman in high school here, because that's the youngest I can go with it still working for my fic. And it kinda...makes sense? Look Ninjago's character ages are a nightmare of a mess so I'm just gonna roll with it. He's kinda in that nice little transitional phase where he's a genuine sweetheart but also a brat, so kinda like Lloyd his entire life I guess.**

 **I'm only just now getting to replies because I'm terrible but thank you as always to everyone who's taken the time to review! It's meant a lot especially with school work picking up lately, you guys are always so kind and it gets me through :''D**

* * *

Brad's not the smartest kid, not by a long shot, but he's good at learning. He picks up things fast, catches on quicker than others, and it's a talent that serves him well.

Or it _should have_ served him well.

Brad learns a lot of things as a kid — Darkley's is full of lessons. He learns how to rewire alarms and pull pranks, how to walk so quietly teachers will never hear, how to catch a host of fire ants in a jar without getting bit once.

He learns how to run, and he learns how to fight. He learns how to twist words until they sting and stick and _hurt_. He learns how to be a Darkley's kid — and Darkley's kids aren't nice. Darkley's kids don't stick up for weaklings, and they don't make best friends, unless they can get something out of it.

He learns that friends in general are hard to find, and much harder to keep when they twist into versions of themselves you don't recognize sometimes. He learns that Lloyd is one of the rare exceptions — he's snarky, he's bratty, he can be as mean as the fire ants Brad stuck in his bed, but he can't be cruel. Not like Gene can, or Finn, or even Brad, maybe.

This is not to say that Brad learns Lloyd's shy, or even particularly nice. He's the kind of kid that's got fire in his eyes, who looks at everything like it's a threat and he's going to be the one to take it down. Lloyd doesn't get scared, not like Brad does. Lloyd doesn't like giving up.

But Brad doesn't need to learn that Lloyd isn't big like the other boys. Lloyd is too-small in the smallest size of Darkley's uniform — he doesn't have parents, doesn't have siblings, doesn't have _anyone_ to teach him how to throw a punch, or how to duck, or how to fight.

But Lloyd fights anyways, because Lloyd is stupid, and Brad learns how to pick sides the hard way.

Gene pats him on the shoulder. "Like I said, Tudabone," he tells him. "You're way better off with us than Garma- _loser_ over there."

Listening to Lloyd sniffle through a broken nose later that night, Brad learns two more things. The first is how to regret. The second is that Darkley's kids are _cowards_.

Fortunately, those last two are the only lessons that stick.

* * *

Ridiculous as Ninjago can get — because boy, Brad isn't the oldest kid on the block, but the stuff he's seen go down in his admittedly short lifespan thus far is _insane_ — he's never really bought into the idea of fate and destiny and all that. Maybe it's the leftover skepticism blended with a heavy dose of scorn for anything fairy-tale related that he picked up from Darkley's, but it's just _hard_ to for him to buy into that sort of stuff.

But heck, if Brad's spent the last year and a half trying to work up some semblance of courage to talk to his childhood friend, failed at literally every attempt to talk to him whatsoever (because Lloyd is _famous_ now, and famous people are _seriously_ hard to get in touch with without everyone immediately assuming you're some kind of threat), just for _Rachel Lennox_ , decent basketball captain, sub-par lab partner, and giant _nerd_ extraordinaire who Brad somehow managed to befriend even though he's a freshman, to just _run into_ Lloyd the one day Brad doesn't go with her to the hospital—

It's _some_ kind of twisted fate, that's all he can come up with.

Either way, Brad has finally, miraculously had contact with Lloyd quite literally dropped into his lap, and like heck if he's not gonna take advantage of it.

This is, of course, considering Rachel hasn't murdered him by the end of the week.

"You _went to school_ with Lloyd Garmadon?!" she'd shrieked at him, something resembling murder in her eyes. "And you didn't _tell me?_ Brad how _could_ you, you know how much I love the ninja-"

Sometimes he forgets that Rachel is taller than him, and could probably slam-dunk his wimpy freshman self through their rickety school hoop like she does sometimes at home games, but there's nothing like the unholy wrath in her eyes when she realizes he's been keeping his dramatic past with Lloyd Garmadon from her all this time to remind him.

"Um…oops?"

" _Oops?_ "

He really didn't do it on purpose. Lloyd is…Lloyd is a whole bunch of things, but mostly he's _guilt_ , a neatly packaged host of memories that sting even this far down the line. Lloyd is also solidly _out of reach_ , an all-green figure on his TV screen who faces down giants and warriors and shoots bright bursts of energy from his hands. Lloyd's a hero, an idol, a good foot taller, and more often than not Brad barely recognizes his childhood friend.

But. Every now and then, though it's rare, the news camera gets close enough that Brad can see the eyes behind the mask, catch the familiar crinkling at the edge of Lloyd's right eye when he smiles, or the stubborn furrow in his brow like he used to get when he was going to fight Gene, or the discoloring as the bright green of his eyes flashes to the red Brad is used to — and then it's not the Green Ninja on the TV, it's Brad's stubborn shrimp of a friend who used to sneak into the kitchens with him in the dead of night.

And Brad misses him. He misses Lloyd, but mostly he misses that he never got the chance to really apologize, or talk it out, or say _hey I really did want to be your friend and I never meant what I said that one time_ , but it doesn't matter because Lloyd is so far out of reach that Brad has zero idea how to even begin approaching him.

Or he _hadn't_ , until now.

It takes him forever to get Rachel to even give him the number, because all of the sudden she's got it in her head that it's her sworn duty to protect Lloyd from anything and everything, and that includes Brad, for some stupid reason. And yeah, okay, Brad _gets_ that she met Kai Smith, he _gets_ that he's probably as kind of terrifying as she's saying, but Brad's known Lloyd longer than he has anyways, so just _give me the number Rae I swear—_

He's successful, in the end, otherwise he wouldn't be sitting on the coast-side docks with Lloyd right now, eating their admittedly ill-advised choice of treat.

"I t-told you it was a bad idea," Lloyd says, through chattering teeth. He stubbornly takes another bite of his ice cream bar nonetheless, and Brad fights back a grin. Looks like some things haven't changed.

"Don't be a w-wimp," Brad says, ignoring the way his own mouth feels like it's going numb. "It's in the good name of sweets. What happened to _'I'd burn the school down for one piece of candy right now'_?"

Lloyd throws his head back, laughing. "One time," he says. "That was one time!"

Brad, who knows full well that Lloyd complained about a lack of candy at least three times on any given day, just giggles along with him. Lloyd's eyes flash with the half-emerging sun as he laughs, but they don't turn that neon-glowstick shade of green the people of Ninjago are used to seeing. They're a deep red instead, darker than the bright glow that he'd apparently grown into. It's a deep red Brad's familiar with though, and for some weird reason, it makes him feel less wrong-footed, more at ease. Brad half-wonders if it's an accident, or if Lloyd is doing it on purpose for him. That's the kind of thing Lloyd would do.

"You and your sugar fix," Brad shakes his head, as Lloyd's laughter subsides.

"Good to know sugar's still my one defining character trait," Lloyd sighs, but there's a smile still pulling at the edges of his mouth.

"Oh no," Brad says. "You're still a stubborn brat, don't worry. And you've got that squeaky voice, that's super important-"

"My voice _changed!_ " Lloyd says indignantly, and Brad is woefully disappointed that his voice doesn't crack. _His_ voice is still in its most traitorous phase, though he's very careful to remember the pitches he needs to avoid trying to reach.

"Besides," Lloyd sniffs. "You were the one that broke us into the kitchen every other night. And you _actually_ set it on fire one morning!"

"Oh _no_ , I'd forgotten about that," Brad wheezes, nearly dropping his own ice cream bar as he cackles. "I still can't believe we got away with that. The only upside about Darkley's not having fire alarms, I guess."

Lloyd snickers at the memory, and despite the lingering reminder of just how little anyone really cared about their safety _at all_ at Darkley's, Brad remembers that it's one of the few happy memories he has from there.

But then it gets depressing, like any memory of Darkley's eventually does, because Brad also remembers that was the same day that Lloyd broke his wrist because Finn shoved him down the stairs, and Brad just stood by and laughed with the others when he couldn't take notes with the cast on.

Familiar anger sparks in Brad's chest, something that's been building for years now, barely quelled by the long talks with his mom. Because how stupid _was_ it? That a bunch of adults decided to take kids who didn't have a clue what the world was and force them to be something they didn't understand? To try and turn a bunch of little kids who could've been friends into merciless jerks who didn't care about anyone or anything?

Brad watched the closest thing he had to a best friend regularly get beat up and thought that was _right_. He thought it was _okay_. Darkley's twisted everything up and made it wrong, so wrong, and Brad hates that he _still_ has trouble telling right from wrong even after.

But Lloyd, on the other hand…

"How'd you do it."

Brad's question breaks the easy silence they'd fallen into. Lloyd glances up at him, swinging a leg absently over the water below. "Do what?"

Brad looks away, rubbing the back of his head. "Be so different than the rest of us," he says. "You weren't mean like the others. You were…you were good."

Lloyd snorts. "I wouldn't say I was _good_ ," he says. He looks down, a shadow crossing his face. "I think I did the most damage out of anyone, in the end," he murmurs.

Brad shakes his head. "That's _stupid_ ," he scowls. "You're the best outta all of us and you know it."

"Brad, no offense, but you have literally _no idea_ what I've done."

"Oh yeah, I'm sure you've got a whole list of people you've murdered in dark alleyways for the fun of it now," Brad drawls.

Lloyd pulls back, eyes wide. "I do _not!_ " he yelps. "That's not - we don't do stuff like that, we try to avoid killing at all costs, if we can-"

"Wait, you've got a ninja license and you haven't even used it to murder anybody? What's the point then?" Brad says, scandalized. He breaks down at Lloyd's expression, snickering. "I'm kidding, geez."

Lloyd crosses his arms, looking put out. "Touchy _subject_ , Brad," he says, through clenched teeth.

"Yeah, yeah, my bad," Brad says, only half-apologetically. _Someone's_ gotta joke around with Lloyd about the morbid stuff, and he bets the other ninja are way too goody-goody still. He blows his breath out, sobering.

"And you know what I mean," he continues. "When you came back to Darkley's, when we lured you back — sorry about that, by the way — it wasn't that long after you'd left. And you were…you were already…you _got_ it. You knew the difference between good and bad, a-and right and wrong, you — d'you get what I'm saying? You were just…you were good."

Lloyd's eyebrows furrow as he stares at the water, a brief shiver running through his shoulders. "I mean…" he chews on his lip. "I dunno. I had a _lot_ of good role models, which helped. And um…I made some pretty big mistakes, and you learn _really_ fast from those."

"Well — still," Brad pushes forward, not to be out-argued. "Even before then, you tried to be my friend. Like, my _friend_ my friend, not the Darkley's excuse of one." He looks down at that, old guilt welling up his chest again.

"And I…I was a sorry excuse for friend," he says, miserably. "I sucked. And I'm really sorry about that, because I think we could've been great friends the last few years, and we weren't. And that's my fault."

"I wasn't that great a friend, either," Lloyd says, softly. "There's a lot of blame on my side too, you know. I could've stuck up for you more. Could've been like, a hundred times nicer. Could've not thrown your stuff in the lake that time."

"That's kinda funny in hindsight, to be honest," Brad says.

"Still," Lloyd says. "I…I wish I could've been better. Maybe you'd have actually wanted to be friends with me after Darkley's then."

Brad scoffs. "Are you kidding me?" he says. "Lloyd, the entire time we've been here I've been trying to tell you that I wanna be friends with you. 'Cause you're like, the realest friend I've ever had. Why'd you think I've been trying so hard to get in touch with you? 'Cause you're a big-shot celebrity now? Mr. Green Ninja, ooh-"

Lloyd elbows him. "Shut up," he mutters, his face flushing. "I'm not that famous."

Brad raises a single, skeptical eyebrow, and points to the tiny little Green Ninja on his ice cream wrapper. "Yeah, you're just on ice cream bars for kicks."

Brad snorts as Lloyd goes scarlet and swats the wrapper away from him (not out of his hands though, because then it'd land in the water and FSM forbid the Green Ninja _litter_ , of all things). Lloyd shakes his head briefly, then suddenly looks back up, his eyes as earnest as they were the something-many years ago Brad met him on the doorsteps of Darkley's.

"Well, you've got my number now," Lloyd says. "And I really only give it out to close friends and family. So…half the battle?"

"Technically, I just stole it from Rachel," Brad mutters, rubbing the back of his head.

Lloyd grins. "I know. She told me."

"Traitor," Brad hisses. You let one friend meet another and it all goes downhill, huh.

"I would've given it to you anyways," Lloyd says, and his voice is earnest again. "D'you, um…we could maybe stay in touch, now? And uh, do this more often?"

"Yeah," Brad says, his voice thick. "Yeah, that'd be nice."

"Great," Lloyd says, a bit awkwardly, but it's the Lloyd kind of awkward, so Brad gets the message anyways. They lapse into silence, staring out at the water, occasionally shivering from the cold.

Man, Brad's gonna owe Rachel a big fat _thank you_ after this, isn't he, he thinks ruefully. Never mind having to give her solid proof that him and Lloyd were friends _first,_ they're friends _now_. After all the lecturing she'd given him, it's about time Brad has something to throw back at—

 _Rachel's lecturing_ sparks something in his brain, and he suddenly sucks in a breath. Oh yeah. He _is_ supposed to still give concrete proof that he's really Lloyd's friend, isn't he.

"So uh…" Brad winces, trying to find a way to bring this up that isn't horribly blunt and kinda insensitive.

….aw, Lloyd knew him at Darkley's. To heck with it.

"I saw your dad was back to his non-scary self on the news," Brad says, with all the delicateness of a wrecking ball. "How's uh, how's that going?"

Lloyd, who had started looking suspicious at the word ' _so'_ and had slipped neatly into white-faced blankness the minute ' _dad'_ came up, tenses. He opens his mouth, still with that blank expression on, and Brad cuts over him.

"Remember how I told you about my dad that one time?" he says. "How I came to you when I was crying about my mom, because I knew you were the one person I could trust to tell?"

Lloyd's mouth shuts, and the blank expression fractures.

Brad nudges him. "You saw me at my worst," he says, quietly. "And I saw you at yours. Are you gonna trust me too?"

 _You're not my leader_ , Brad is trying to tell him. Lloyd's not his ninja bro, or the chosen one or whatever he thinks he's gotta be to everyone else. Brad knew Lloyd before he was any of that. So if he can _get it_ , if he can get that he doesn't have to pretend in front of him, then maybe…

Lloyd jerks his head away, staring out at the horizon. His hand goes white-knuckled as he clutches the edge of the dock, wind-bitten patches on his skin turning red. He gives a shaky, shuddering exhale.

"…I haven't talked to him yet," he says, quietly.

Brad feels something a little like victory spark in his chest. "Uh huh?"

Lloyd bites his lip, still staring fixedly out over the water. "I…did you…you didn't watch the…the broadcast that came on…a while back, did you?"

Brad wants to lie. Because he wants to forget that he _did_ watch it. Wants to pretend that he has no idea what Lloyd's talking about, that he doesn't have a good dozen images of Lloyd getting chucked through a concrete wall seared into the back of his brain.

"…yeah, I saw it," he admits.

Lloyd makes a sound halfway between a bitter laugh and a choke. " _Yeah_ ," he echoes. "There's that."

Brad's shoulders hitch. "I mean…I don't blame you, I guess," he says, slowly. "I'd be angry too."

Lloyd's shoulders go tenser, if possible. He finally turns, meeting Brad's eyes.

"But I'm _not_ angry," he says, his voice a hollow whisper. "I'm — I think I'm just—" Lloyd breaks away from his gaze, looking back at the water.

"Back at the hospital, when he first woke up, I was so _scared_ ," Lloyd says, and Brad's taken aback by the wave of self-loathing in his voice. "I made a big stupid scene and ran out and everything. Like a coward."

Oh, geez. Brad's in over his head, isn't he? He's not a therapist, he's not even a good _listener_ , Rachel's told him, he's just barely reconnected with Lloyd and he doesn't even know _what_ exactly he's scared of (though he can guess) and he doesn't know—

Well. He might not know the Lloyd sitting in front of him in his entirety. But he knows Lloyd, he knows the person underneath the title and the mask and the built-up years of perfecting it.

Brad blows his breath out, swings his leg a bit, and takes a plunge. "You know, back at school, I thought you were the bravest person I'd ever met."

Lloyd glances up at him, confusion overtaking his expression. "But I…wasn't? Not at all. I was scared to death pretty much every other day, remember? I cried over the _dark_ my first nights there."

Brad shakes his head. "Different kind of brave," he says. "You were brave in the good way. You were brave enough to care. To care about what you did and to care about — about _people_."

"Oh," Lloyd mutters, looking slightly miserable about that for some reason. "I mean — yeah, I guess. But it just got me made fun of, and then they kicked me out for it."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean that they were _right_ , or that you were wrong," Brad insists. "Everyone made it out like being cynical and mean and-and cutting everyone else out was smart," he says. "That trusting people and, uh…lo- _liking_ …them, was just stupid, 'cause you'd only get hurt."

Lloyd looks down. Brad can't read his expression, but he's not done talking yet.

"But y'know, I did all that, and I was freaking _miserable_ ," he continues, more confidently. "The only times I was really happy was when I was hanging out with you. And then I cut you out, and you got kicked out, and I…" Brad swallows. "The other kids said you'd die out there alone. I wanted to hit them for it, but I didn't, 'cause I knew that if anyone could survive, it'd be you. Because you were looking for your dad, and any time you ever mentioned him you were…" Lloyd's expression spasms, and Brad winces. "You were so happy," he finishes, weakly.

Lloyd's jaw tightens. "He…" he shakes his head. "Kai says he was too scared to reach out before now." Lloyd's voice is almost inaudible over sound of the water beneath them. "But that he…he wants to talk."

"I was scared, reaching out to you," Brad offers, hesitantly. "'Cause I know what I did back then, and I thought — I dunno what I thought. But I did it anyways, 'cause even just the chance of getting to be friends with you again was worth it."

Lloyd looks up at the overcast sky, biting his lip hard. "Was it?" he whispers.

"Obviously, dummy," Brad says, almost rolling his eyes. Ninja are so _dramatic_. He sighs, looking down. "So, um. I dunno, but something I learned from you is that choosing to be a giant softie who tries to love everyone is _hard_ , but it's worth it, 'cause then you actually have people to pick you up after the bad stuff. And it also makes you like, a hundred times braver than any of the kids who weren't afraid of the dark."

Lloyd inhales at that, and his shoulders shudder again, though Brad isn't sure if it's just from the cold this time. He looks down at the water, his forehead scrunched up.

"What if…" Lloyd's voice trails off, and his fists clench up, jaw jutting out in frustration briefly.

"What if I'm still scared."

 _Well duh_ , Brad wants to say. He hasn't been trying to encourage _Garmadon_ here for the last hour, has he?

"If it means anything," Brad says instead, quietly. "I still think you're the bravest person I know." Lloyd looks up at him, wide-eyed, and Brad gives him a lopsided kind of smile. "That part hasn't changed, at least."

Lloyd's expression does this weird little pinched thing, like he's trying to suppress some emotion, and his fingers go tight on the edge of the dock again. He takes a deep breath, and his fingers let go.

"Gene would give you _so much_ grief if he heard that."

Brad gives a startled snort. "He would _try_ ," he shoots back, starting to grin. "Besides, I've got you to protect me, and you've got a _sword_ now."

Lloyd groans. "Brad, we don't just _murder people_ if they get on our nerves."

"I didn't say anything about murdering, but funny how your mind jumped to that—"

Lloyd cheap-shot elbows him in the gut, and Brad cuts off with a wheeze, glaring at Lloyd as he snickers unapologetically. He elbows him again, gentler this time, and Brad finally lets the glare up as he stops sputtering.

"Thanks, by the way."

Brad blinks at Lloyd's words, meeting his gaze. Lloyd's eyes are still red, but there's a steadiness that wasn't there when he met Brad this morning. The kind of stubbornness Brad used to see him get at Darkley's, when he was about to try and prove the world wrong again.

It's no wonder Lloyd's leading the ninja team now, Brad thinks. That's the stubborn look that used to get him in trouble, because it's the one he'd follow in a heartbeat.

Well, he thinks, fighting back a grin. He probably still would.

"So you're definitely gonna take Rachel up on her invitation, right?" he suddenly says, wrenching the subject back to _important_ things. "Because Gene's gonna be at the dance and we've got a golden opportunity to prank him here."

"Wait, she was _serious?_ " Lloyd says, blinking rapidly. "She really…wants me to come to your school's winter dance?"

" _Duh_ ," Brad says. "I mean, she'd probably go hiking through a swamp for you if you wanted instead, but you're coming to the dance."

"Oh," Lloyd says, looking supremely confounded by this. "Um…okay? Sure, I guess, it might be fun…"

"Oh, it's _going_ to be fun," Brad assures him. "We've got a fog machine this year and the students won DJ rights. Plus Mrs. Ramsdell is chaperoning, and she'll _totally_ let us get away with ruining Gene's night. Trust me, you're gonna have a blast."

Lloyd doesn't look entirely convinced, but he _does_ look a lot more enthusiastic than he did when talking about his dad earlier, so Brad figures he's got this in the bag. Worst comes to worst, he can just ditch the dance with Lloyd and take him to egg his uncle's monastery or something.

What? He and Lloyd are friends again. That doesn't mean Brad has to be a _good_ influence.


	21. Chapter 21

***holds Lego at gunpoint* So I gotta do it myself, huh, you're gonna deprive me of Lloyd and Garmadon making up for another season, huh, it's not like I've been dying since season 5 or anything, haHAH-**

 **This chapter is the boiled down reason for this entire fic, if I'm being honest. Just let them work through their issues and be happy again, I'm begging you Lego T-T. There's also a good bit of headcanoning and general messing around with whatever the timeline of Ninjago actually is in here, but I just...really like the idea that all the Elemental Masters got to hang out with their kids, even if it was for five minutes before everything went to heck? This fic is an AU anyways, I guess XD**

 **Huge thanks as always to everyone who takes the time to review, I love you all :'D You're all so supportive and wonderful, you're keeping me driven for this fic!**

* * *

The faded picture delicately plastered to the page isn't particularly detailed, but the memory, at least, is.

Maybe it's because the scene took place around this time of year, even if it took place years ago. Maybe it's because the colors in the photograph are still bright enough that Garmadon can remember what they felt like, who he was then. Or maybe it's simply because the memory in it is a good one, and he's committed it so close to mind that he can recall almost exactly what he'd been thinking each moment.

He remembers the frustration, for example.

* * *

Garmadon makes a face. For all that he and Misako had religiously prepared for having a child, he hadn't expected such unflinching stubbornness from his shrimp of a baby.

Then again, this _is_ his son. Wu's probably laughing about karma right now, or something.

"Lloyd, you've got to let me put the jacket on," he says, exasperated, dangling the small winter coat in his son's face. "You'll freeze, and then I'll have to wage war on winter in revenge, which would be rather difficult."

Lloyd blinks up at him, utterly uncomprehending. He reaches up, grabs for the jacket, and sticks the little sleeve in his mouth, gnawing happily.

Garmadon sighs. "So be it," he mutters. In one fell swoop, he tugs the jacket away from Lloyd and wrestles it over his arm, pulling the other side around him. Lloyd gives a whine of displeasure, his face screwing up as he squirms in Garmadon's hold, trying to yank his tiny arms out of the sleeves.

"There," Garmadon breathes, finally tugging the zipper closed. He balances Lloyd on his lap, pulling the hood up over his wispy blond hair. "Much better."

Lloyd, firmly stuffed into the jacket, hiccups once, looking supremely displeased with the world. "Oh, don't give me that." Garmadon rolls his eyes fondly, grabbing Lloyd by the waist and tossing him up and catching him, grinning as Lloyd bursts into squeals of laughter.

"Oh good, you wrestled him into something," Misako's voice echoes through the living room as she pokes her head in from the kitchen. "Maybe we won't be late after all."

"We're never late, Misako, there's nothing of any real importance that could start without us," Garmadon says. "Besides, it's Maya's party. I'm not about to show up late on her watch."

"And here I was starting to think you were just terrified of socializing," Misako says, teasing evident in her voice.

"Ha!" Garmadon scoffs, bouncing Lloyd on his knee. "There's no matter so terrifying I can't handle it with my Lloyd."

Lloyd sneezes.

"You'll be very terrifying yourself someday, I'm sure," Garmadon assures him, brushing a flyaway wisp of baby hair back into place. "A warrior in your own right."

"As _if_ you're ever letting him within five feet of a weapon again," Misako mutters, side-eyeing him as she crosses the room.

Garmadon's face heats. "That was once, Misako! And I've made sure it'll never happen again, but how was I supposed to know that the one time I leave my sword out our son would try to _eat_ it?"

"I told you, he's teething!" Misako calls from their bedroom, where she's likely stealing from his stashed chocolate again under the guise of fixing her makeup. "That's what babies do, Garmadon."

"It's the dragon half, that's what it is," Garmadon mutters, watching as Lloyd tries fit his tiny fist in his mouth. He shakes his head, glancing back. "Are you almost ready? What are you doing back there, re-painting the walls?"

"Oh _you_ \- alright, alright, I'm coming!" Misako laughs as she steps back out, still pinning an earring on. "At this rate we might even be early. You can help Ray set up."

"I wouldn't lift a finger to help that fire brain," Garmadon says. "But _you_ ," he turns back to Lloyd, blowing gently on his forehead so his hair flutters back, grinning as his son blinks once, before reaching tiny, stubby fingers toward Garmadon's own hair. "You, I would move the stars themselves for, my little ray of-"

"Don't go infecting our son with your melodrama already." Misako approaches them, leaning over the couch and resting her head by his. She smiles gently at Lloyd as he waves a tiny fist at her. "And how's my darling?"

"I could use a cup of coffee, to be honest."

"I wasn't talking to you," she rolls her eyes at Garmadon, even as she presses a kiss against his cheek. "Now come on. Or we really will be late."

"But-"

"I'm sure Maya will already have a pot of coffee on for you at their house," Misako sighs. "I doubt she wants to deal with you without it."

Garmadon frowns. "What's that supposed to-"

Lloyd finally gets a fistful of his hair, and Garmadon yelps as his head is pulled sharply toward Lloyd, who immediately tries to stuff his captured handful of hair in his mouth.

"Not the hair, son, not the — _agh._ " Garmadon finally extricates himself from his son's tight grip, rubbing his head as Misako laughs. He sighs, letting Lloyd chew on the sleeve of his gi instead.

"You're a strong one, aren't you," he says, shaking his head with a fond grin.

"He's your son, what did you expect?" Misako says, a smile of her own playing across her lips as she offers a hand to help him up, Lloyd shouldered firmly on his hip. She takes a moment to wrangle a scarf around his neck, muttering about _stubborn fools boasting their elemental heritage everywhere, you'll still catch a cold_. Garmadon simply rolls his eyes and lets her, wincing a bit as she pulls it tight. She finally deems them both weather-worthy, and they're out the door of their home, snow just beginning to drift lazily down around them.

Garmadon watches as Lloyd manages to tug his hood off in frustration, blinking wildly as a tiny flake of snow catches him in the eye. He laughs lightly, brushing another dusting of flakes from Lloyd's forehead and pulling him closer against him, resting his chin lightly on top of his head. Lloyd squirms briefly, making snuffled noises of annoyance before resigning himself to his fate, trapped firmly against Garmadon.

"You'll be strong enough to wrestle yourself free someday, don't worry," Garmadon laughs, wrinkling his nose as feathery blond hair brushes against it, blown up by the wind. He'll have to brush it back down later — Maya's given him plenty of grief for not owning a family picture yet, and he doubts he'll escape it this time.

"But we'll see, huh?" he murmurs, turning his attention back to Lloyd, who's now watching the tiny snowflakes that land on his sleeve with wide eyes. "You might even grow to be stronger than me."

* * *

 _Stronger than him._

Garmadon runs a hand down the faded edges of the photograph, fighting back the lump in his throat. They deserved so much better. _Lloyd_ deserved so much better.

He exhales heavily, then straightens.

Well. That's that, then.

Garmadon closes the photo album, stands up, and makes his way for the door. He grabs his jacket, pulling it over his shoulders as he re-reads the brief text he's been sent on the phone Misako insisted he carry. It appears as if he'll be taking a walk on the coast.

Garmadon follows Kai's direction with an alarming amount of trust, and sure enough, he finds Lloyd sitting on one of the dark rocks that scatter the sandy Ninjago coast, not far from the water. Garmadon pauses at the edge of the boardwalk, studying him carefully with half-held breath. Lloyd has his legs pulled up to his chest, arms wrapped firmly around them, as if to combat the bitter cold. The wind tugs at his hair, long and blond where it blows wild. His back is to him, but Garmadon can tell he's staring at the ocean, watching the dark waves where they're tossed high by the winter gales.

Garmadon takes a step forward, his feet just sinking into the sand. Blowing his breath out with a strengthening resolve, he nods to himself once, then begins to cross the stretch of beach between them. The air grows colder the closer he draws to the water, and the wind whips strong enough to send him off-balance if he's not careful. He spares a brief moment of relief that he wore the jacket, and for the small protection it gives him, but the relief is quickly traded for apprehension the closer he draws to Lloyd.

He finally stops a few feet from his rock, hesitating. He's not sure how close he should get, if he should announce himself, or if Lloyd will—

"Thanks for coming out here."

Lloyd's voice is a startling break against the monotonous howling of the wind, but it's loud enough to be clearly directed at him. Garmadon blinks, something in his chest aching at how even his son's voice is now, deeper and calmer, barely a trace of the young, cracking voice he'd grown used to. It reminds him how much of his son's growth that he's missed — _again_.

"I know it's not really the most practical, with the weather and all, and it's pretty cold, but um, it's…it's private," Lloyd continues, his eyes still fixed on the waves. "So thanks for being willing."

Garmadon swallows, finding his voice. "I should be the one thanking you," he says, cursing his voice as it wavers briefly. "I am…I'm happy to meet anywhere, if it helps."

Lloyd gives a jerking little nod. His shoulders hitch once, as if taking a deep breath and exhaling it, and he turns. His eyes are an odd mix of green and red, but there's no emotion on his face that suggests anything else. His expression remains fixedly neutral. "You can, uh, sit, if you want." He nods toward the large space of rock open beside him, and it occurs to Garmadon that he must have chosen this particular spot for that reason.

There's a war between the crushing relief that Lloyd feels comfortable enough to offer that, and the swoop of sheer terror that he's going to be close enough to Lloyd to potentially hurt him again. He shoves both thoughts down, reminding himself that this means nothing. Besides, he'd sooner drown himself in the nearby waves before he'd even consider hurting Lloyd. Not again.

He steps forward, taking an unsteady seat on the rock next to Lloyd, careful to leave plenty of space between them. It's not exactly a comfortable seat, hard and jagged and close to the bitter cold of the sea as it is, but it's better then the rocks closer to the shoreline, the ones Garmadon can see foam crashing up on as the waves roll over them.

He shivers briefly, the wind seeping through his outer jacket. He doesn't dare look at Lloyd longer than a glance, but his son appears more at ease with the cold then he does, the only sign that it's even getting to him the tensing of his shoulders and the way his nose is steadily turning red. There's a flare of concern — he'd call it parental, but Garmadon feels he's rather lost that privilege, he thinks bitterly.

"So." Lloyd's voice is quiet, his gaze still fixed determinedly ahead. "Um, are you…are you feeling any better, now?"

Garmadon pauses, taking a steadying breath. _Here they go_. "My mind is my own again," he tells him, trying to sound reassuring. "Whatever was…there before, is gone now."

"Oh, I — I meant like in general, feeling better," Lloyd huffs, a bit awkwardly. "Because of the, um, you were in the hospital." He looks down, kicking up sand with the tip of his shoe. "But uh…yeah, it's…it's good to know that."

"Ah." Garmadon blinks. He doesn't think he's been asked that question, with that particular meaning, yet. "I am…I'm fine, I suppose."

He's not, really, not even close, because he's going to have to live with everything he's managed to do recently, but physically….he supposes he is fine.

"I was never in any real danger," he continues. His breath hitches. "Thanks — thanks to you."

Lloyd gives an awkward half-shrug, still looking away. "S'no problem."

Garmadon chokes, then heaves in another breath. _Not a problem._ His son almost _died_ , there was a _sword_ in him, there was most _assuredly_ a problem there—

His attempts to calm himself fail, and Garmadon feels his restraint snap like the thin threads of a ribbon. "You shouldn't have," he says, his voice rough and loud against the sounds of the ocean. "You shouldn't have done that. Shouldn't have saved me. I didn't — I didn't deserve it."

Lloyd's fingers curl around the edge of the rock, tightening. "Well, I did," he says, flatly. "So that's that."

Garmadon's pulse skyrockets, and his own fists close. For Lloyd to talk of it so casually, so flippantly, like he hadn't been inches from death — like he wouldn't have _been_ dead had it not been for his team — and it would have been _all Garmadon's fault_ —

"Why," he grinds out, eyes hot. "Why did you take the sword for me?"

Lloyd's jaw clenches, but he doesn't reply.

"They were coming for _me_ ," Garmadon continues, agony leaking into his voice. "Not you. I never would have dreamed of asking you—" He cuts off, swallowing. "Why, Lloyd, you _know_ I didn't deserve it. You know I should've been the one to - to die."

"Well maybe I didn't _want_ you to!" Lloyd exclaims, hotly. "I did it once, and I'd do it again, because maybe I don't want you to _die_ again!"

"After everything," Garmadon snaps. "After everything I did, every cruel word I flung at you, after _Kryptarium_ —"

Lloyd flinches.

"You shouldn't _want_ to save me." Garmadon's fire leaves him, and he slumps in place, his shoulders falling. "You shouldn't even want to see me," he croaks, his voice hollow. "I understand that you hate me for what I did to you, and you must know that I never meant to hurt you, never, but I know…I know that the pain I caused you in that prison is unforgivable."

Lloyd is quiet. Garmadon's heart is still hammering in his ears, desperate frustration mixed with the terrified sort of fear that his son is slipping away from him anyways. He closes his eyes briefly, sorting out an — an attempt at what, an apology? What is he even supposed to say?

"You don't get it."

Lloyd beats him to it. His voice isn't loud, but it's forceful enough. He pushes himself from the rock, standing up and finally facing Garmadon head on. Lloyd's eyes are hot and burning as he glares at him, and Garmadon is horrified to see the subtle sheen of tears.

"It's not about stupid Kryptarium," he says, shakily. "It's not even that you hurt my friends — hurt my family."

He's certainly _upset_ about that, though, Garmadon can tell.

Lloyd takes a ragged breath, his fists clenching and unclenching. "Since I can remember, I've always had faith in you," he says. "Even at your worst, I still loved you. I still believed in you, even when literally _everybody_ _else_ was telling me you were a lost cause."

Lloyd bites his lip hard, and he turns briefly, looking out over the waves again. "I could take mom leaving me," he says, tightly. "I could take being forgotten at that stupid school for years. I could take Uncle Wu distancing himself. But you —" Lloyd's eyes squeeze shut. "You were supposed to be _different_ than them."

Something in Garmadon's heart cracks. It should be a familiar feeling by now, but it hurts nonetheless.

"I trusted you," Lloyd says, his voice hitching. "I trusted you more than anyone else. You were my hero, and all I've ever done — all I've ever wanted to do was to make you proud. To be someone even halfway deserving of your name, even if I had to keep _killing_ you—"

Lloyd cuts off, his breath shuddering as he blows it out, almost as if vainly grasping for composure. Garmadon wants to yell, desperately wants to tell Lloyd that he _is_ proud of him, he always has been, he would've easily burned down half the world for him if he'd asked. He would do anything for him, but he can't fix _this_.

He shudders in the cold again, taking a breath. "You have every right to be angry with me—"

"But I'm not!" Lloyd cries at him, tears of— frustration? desperation? — budding in his eyes. "I'm not angry with you at all! You don't — you don't deserve that, I _know_ you don't. Because I know what it's like, I know exactly what it's like to have someone else controlling you — to have to watch as someone else uses you to hurt people you care about — and I'm not angry with you for that, I'm angry with _her_ for doing that _to_ you!"

Garmadon realizes, with a startled shock, that the fury in Lloyd's eyes isn't turned on him. Lloyd is looking at him with a fiery glare, but the rage in his eyes is clearly meant for someone else, his anger on his behalf. Garmadon's heart seizes on the tiniest shred of hope before he makes himself crush it back down again.

Lloyd continues shakily, wiping furiously at his eyes. "I _know_ what it's like to not be in control of your own actions. And it's _terrible_. So I could — I could never blame you for that. I _don't_ blame you for it. But I just—"

Lloyd breaks off, his breath hitching as he wavers in the wind, and Garmadon has to violently smother the urge to grab him and hug him tightly until that look leaves his face.

"I just need you to _get_ it," Lloyd says, miserably. "Why it's so hard for me to get over that — that you told me I wasn't your son."

Garmadon's heart stops. It skips, stuttering over a beat as Lloyd's words crash into meaning in his mind. They don't make sense — they _don't_ , because Garmadon's said terrible, horrible things in his life, but he'd _never_ , ever, in any stretch of imagination say something like that. Lloyd is the only thing in his life that he's proud of, the fact that he can call someone like Lloyd his son is the greatest gift his father's ever given him, so _why_ —

He remembers that one moment in the recording. He recalls the only words he couldn't decipher, the broken expression on Lloyd's face, and he suddenly wants to be violently ill. How is the reality _worse_ than everything he'd been imagining?

 _Of course it's worse_ , he thinks bitterly. He wants to cry. It's always the worst case scenario with him, isn't it? He's never managed to overcome the darkness before, why should it possibly have been different this time?

"Lloyd, I…" Garmadon's mouth tastes like ash, his voice trailing off into dust. What is he supposed to say, other than to beg Lloyd to understand that he himself didn't mean it? And even then — is that even the point?

Garmadon's heart plummets, if possible, even lower. Lloyd's admitting that it's hard for him to _get over it_. Like it's something he should just be able to _write off_. How many other times has Lloyd written off his own hurt because someone else _didn't truly mean it?_ How many times has he understood, and in that understanding forced himself to forget about what had been done?

(Again, it always comes back to their cursed _family_.)

Garmadon didn't mean it, but he still _said_ it. He still _did_ those things.

Lloyd still suffered, at his hand, and that won't be erased by simply excusing Garmadon on behalf of other influence. That will alleviate Garmadon's conscience — that will make it about him, his own pain, his own need for forgiveness.

It won't erase the pain his son has been through.

"I'm sorry," Lloyd speaks up suddenly, his voice louder, clearer. Garmadon's stomach drops. It's the sound of him closing off. "I shouldn't have — I shouldn't have snapped at you. I understand, I really do. You weren't yourself. It's — it's fine, it wasn't your fault. I'm being stupid about this, I'm — sorry. I'll go—"

" _No!_ " Garmadon reaches for his hand before he can stop himself, then abruptly yanks it back at Lloyd's look of alarm. "No, Lloyd, please, let me just—"

He sucks in a breath, forcing back the wave of panic. "Please," he whispers. "Please stay."

Lloyd hesitates, shifting slightly in the sand. The wind catches a stray lock of hair, blowing it across his face and obscuring his expression. But finally, his stance relaxes — the slightest bit — and he nods.

It's a struggle for Garmadon to hide his relief.

Instead, he lowers his own head, speaking. "Just let me say this," he rasps, his voice thick. "And after, if you wish to never see me again, I'll understand."

He chokes back the ache in his chest at that, struggling to keep his voice steady. "Just know that I'm sorry," he says. "I'm _so_ sorry, Lloyd. I'm sorry that you ever had to hear that, that any of this ever happened — that I wasn't able to come back to you sooner. I'm sorry I ever left you in the first place."

Lloyd stares at him wordlessly, his eyes wide. Garmadon inhales shakily and keeps going.

"But please, Lloyd, if you can find it in yourself to believe me," he swallows. "I love you. With every part of myself that belongs to me, I love you."

He shakes his head, almost smiling despite himself. "I've never stopped," he says, his voice wet and thick in a way that would humiliate him if he were talking to anyone else in the world. "At every point of your life, I've loved you. And there is nothing, no person, that could change that."

He looks up at Lloyd, taking in his son's lengthened hair and sharpened jawline, how much older he's grown. "And there is no change in _you_ that would either," he says, barely managing a wry, fond sort of smile. "You could dye your hair black and your eyes could change colors on the day, and I would still love you. You could lose every single battle you went into, and I would still love you. You could — you could bring the end of Ninjago itself about, and I would still love you."

Garmadon can't quite see through the blurry sheen that's obscured his own vision, but Lloyd appears frozen, his eyes wide and misty, his expression blank. Garmadon shakes his head, and his voice turns hot.

"Any part of me that's said otherwise is not a part of me I will ever accept," he says, fiercely. "The only reason I've ever stayed is for you. The only reason I've ever _tried_ is for you, and I—" His composure falters, and Garmadon has to pause.

"I couldn't ask for a better son," he finishes, his voice a hoarse whisper against the howling wind. "And as much as I don't deserve to call you mine, I will _always_ want you. No matter what anyone else has to say."

His voice dies off, and he feels as if he's run himself dry. He hopes, oh he _hopes_ , that it will be enough.

Lloyd blinks rapidly, gaping slightly at him. He gives a uneven little gasp, inhaling harshly. He takes a few more shuddering breaths, opening his mouth again then closing it, as if lost for words. He suddenly whips around, staring out over the ocean, shoulders visibly shaking as breathes heavily.

A beat passes, and his head straightens, the shudders fading away. He takes a careful step back, closer to him. Garmadon, who's remained silent, watches as Lloyd slowly sits back down on the rock, just next to him.

Garmadon sucks in a sharp breath. He quickly looks out over the ocean himself, not daring to say anything. Lloyd doesn't say anything either, sniffling occasionally as he rubs a hand across his eyes.

Garmadon is determined to sit like that as long as it takes, to give Lloyd all the time he needs, but the cold seeping through his jacket is beginning to take its toll. Feeling the ache in his bones growing, Garmadon shifts slightly, moving his arm to stretch. There's a brief moment of miscalculation, and to his dismay, he feels himself accidentally knock it against Lloyd's side.

Lloyd goes rigid, his breath catching. Garmadon quickly snatches his hand away, another crack forming in his heart. Of course, his touch is likely nothing but a reminder of pain, now. He pulls back, making to stand, to finally leave Lloyd in peace without any cruel reminders of—

"N-no, wait," Lloyd says, breathlessly. "Just — just give me a minute."

Garmadon freezes. Heart beating unsteadily, he sits back down, careful to leave enough distance between him and Lloyd this time. Lloyd doesn't look at him, but his mouth tightens stubbornly, and he takes a long breath, as if working himself up for something.

Lloyd takes another measured breath, and slowly, carefully — his jaw setting as if bracing for a blow — leans his head against Garmadon's shoulder.

Garmadon doesn't move, doesn't breath, as the warmth of Lloyd's head rests against his shoulder, feather-light and fragile. Lloyd exhales shakily, and he closes his eyes.

"I missed you," Lloyd murmurs, his voice almost lost to the wind. Garmadon feels the rigidity of his shoulders easing, relaxing little by little as he leans more fully against him.

"I missed you a lot, dad."

Garmadon's willpower crumbles to pieces in an instant. He wraps his arms around Lloyd, pulling him close and holding him as tightly as he dares. Blond hair tickles his nose as he does, a familiar scent he'd forgotten, and Garmadon finally feels hot tears streaking down his face.

This time, Lloyd doesn't pull away.


	22. Chapter 22

**Ohhh bOY this is a hundred years late and I've been dead as of recently but I'm trying! To resurrect my motivation! Especially since we'll be getting new episodes soon and I'm so excited for that I've** _missed_ **these kids. A lot of the delay is because I'm between classes and guarding at the pool all day, which is bad for writing but really good for thinking of ideas, so hopefully I can get some of those in actual physical form soon.**

 **I'm also a hundred years behind on replies and reviews but thank you so, so much to everyone who's stuck with me through this fic (and my others too!), it really means the world and you guys constantly make my day :'D (I promise I'm getting to those).**

 **Anyways, here's one of my favorite side characters who deserves the world!**

* * *

Skylor understands that building a business back up from its roots after a PR-disaster the size of her father is just going to _suck_ , regardless, but she's starting to rethink her approach to this.

And by that she means she should've given herself five days a week off, plus weekends, especially on the holidays. Maybe Dario had a point when she appointed him assistant manager, she reluctantly admits to herself, about taking every other week off.

Skylor groans, grinding the palms of her hands against her eyes as she leans against the counter. It's already noon, and the restaurant is glaringly, _mercifully_ empty for once. Not that she's complaining about the recent upswing in business — the opposite, actually, being financially stable for once is pretty great — but she's been keeping the noodle shop understaffed to cut costs, something she'd paid for _big time_ when seats started filling up. The holidays have only taken things to a whole new level, and now Skylor's in need of at least five new employees and a solid twenty hours of sleep.

She shakes her head, sipping at the coffee she'd managed to wrangle out of the cheap coffee maker she'd half-heartedly invested in. It's the good kind for once, the kind Kai had gotten her for her birthday. She takes another sip, inhaling the dark scent. _Ooh_ , Kai might have terrible taste when it comes to spicing food, but he's got excellent taste in coffee, she thinks appreciatively.

Speaking of Kai….

She glances at her phone where it lies on the counter, biting her lip. She'd missed his call earlier, twice, because of the morning rush. She needs to call him back — _wants_ to call him back — but she's just, she's just...she's _busy_.

Skylor sighs, pushing the phone away and burying her face in her arms. She also just feels guilty, because Kai's genuinely trying to help her have a good holiday for once, and she has to keep turning him down for the stupid noodle shop. She tugs at the string of her apron, turning it over in her head. They're closed on Christmas, but maybe she can close a bit earlier, like Christmas Eve? Or maybe Dario can take over for her, just for an hour or two, so she can…so she can…

Do whatever normal people in a relationship do, Skylor thinks dully, letting the strings of her apron drop. Because growing up on her father's cursed island left her with a lot of skill in _that_. Are they even _in_ a relationship right now, or are they just casual dating? What's the difference? Does being tenderly held in the guy you like's arms while you wake up from your powers-of-darkness-induced coma count as a declaration of love?

Maybe she should try and wrangle it out of Lloyd or Nya, she bets they'll sell Kai out if he really—

Her phone vibrates loudly, and Skylor raises her head from her arms, blinking. She swipes at the screen, dusting the fine coating of flour off with her thumb as she squints at the message.

 _ **Kai:** Don't take this the wrong way._

Skylor frowns. Don't take _what_ the wrong way? Her heart drops. Has he finally grown sick of her turning him down eight thousand and two times because of work? Is she officially kicked out of the Unofficial Ninja Team Family? Was she ever even a part of it? Maybe she should reexamine her life goals—

Her phone vibrates again, and Skylor quickly scrambles to read the message.

 _ **Kai:** But we're kidnapping you._

Skylor stares at her phone, at a loss. _Kidnapping…?_

A burst of loud honking startles her, and Skylor nearly drops her phone. She looks up, prepared to glare out the window at whatever careless driver had the nerve — then she blinks. A small grin spreads across her face, growing larger as she makes her way to the door, grabbing her jacket as she does.

"Be right back!" she hollers to the few employees in the back, pulling her jacket closer as she hits the cold air, hurrying across the sidewalk to the van parked on her curb.

"Is _this_ what you mean by kidnapping?" Skylor huffs, blinking away snowflakes that stick stubbornly to her lashes.

Kai gives her a smug grin from where he's leaning out the van window, winter hat perched just so on his head that the tips of his spiked brown hair stick out. It is, admittedly, an unfairly cute look. "Perhaps," he says. "If said restaurant owner would be open to it—"

"Just get in here so Kai can pull out the mistletoe already!"

Kai goes scarlet, whipping around in the seat. " _Lloyd!_ " he hisses at the speaker in question, who's just now popped up at Kai's shoulder, grinning unapologetically at her. Skylor manages to roll her eyes at him before Kai gets his hands around his neck, Lloyd's smug grin disappearing as he sputters.

"I'm— _mph_ —very sorry about that," Kai grits out, trapping Lloyd under his arm in a headlock. Lloyd wheezes, making a face as he tries to pry himself free. " _Some_ people were just — raised in a barn, apparently— ew, don't lick me!"

"Bleh," Lloyd wrinkles his nose, wriggling free and wiping his mouth. "And I was raised on the _streets_ , get it right—"

"FSM's sake," Cole moans from the seat behind them, a hand over his face. "Can we get on with it already." There's a brief commotion of muffled grunting, and Nya pushes her way over Cole to the front seat, one arm plastered across Kai's face for balance as he sputters indignantly, the other shoving Lloyd's head back in the passenger seat.

"We're going to get a Christmas tree," she huffs. "Wanna come?"

Skylor stares at her. She goes briefly on her tiptoes, glancing into the van. Cole is struggling to get Nya to sit back down next to Jay, who's messing with the aux cord and grinning. Zane and Pixal are in the back seat, looking a good deal more comfortable than the rest of them. Pixal gives her a little wave.

"Wait, really?" she says, a bit blankly. This is…not _new_ , exactly, but she doesn't want to intrude on the _family_ part of their holiday, she knows how hard the ninja have had it lately—

"No, not really, that's why we're waiting here on the curb for you to get in," Nya snarks. Kai shoots her a look, then turns back to Skylor.

"Yeah, really," he says. "We're kinda late in the game, so I dunno if there's actually going to be any trees left, but we're gonna try for it. You should come."

Skylor blinks, silent, and Kai's mask of confidence falters, suddenly looking unsure of himself. "I-I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to — I know work's been super busy, so, uh, I'd get it, if you can't…"

Skylor bites her lip. She _should_ say no — they've almost hit a new milestone in customers this month at the restaurant, and it'd be pretty lame of her to ditch her employees just for this, but…

She _wants_ to go with them. She'd a hundred times rather go with the ninja then have noodle flour in her hair again for the next five days.

Also, the narrow-eyed look Lloyd is giving her from behind Kai's back is a little _too_ threatening, very clearly spelling out his opinion of her if she decides to bail on Kai.

"Give me one minute," she says, quickly. "I'll see if someone can cover me."

Kai's face splits into a grin, and Skylor yanks herself around before her own smile can give her away, hurrying over the snow-dotted concrete back into the restaurant. Dario is waiting for her as she pushes through the door, watching the ninja outside with a hint of amusement on his face.

"Hey," Skylor says, breathlessly. "You wouldn't possibly mind taking over the shop for the next few hours, would you?"

Dario shakes his head, smiling at her. "Go ahead," he says, nodding at the door.

"Seriously?" Skylor stares at him.

"We can hold things here down for the day," Dario says, giving the empty tables a wry grin. "Plus, you need it. _Bad_. The stress is starting to fade your hair dye."

"For the last time, this _is_ my natural hair color, I swear—" Skylor cuts off. There's a time and place to have this argument, and that is not when her assistant manager is offering her an entire day off.

"Thank you," she says, emphatically. "You're the best."

"I know," he says. "Now go, before your sparky boyfriend marches in here."

Skylor can't even bring herself to glare at him, feeling ridiculously giddy as she snatches her scarf and hat from the coat rack on her way back to the doors.

"Oh wait, hold on!"

Doubling back, she darts over to the artificial Christmas tree they have set up in the shop corner. Going up on her tiptoes, she quickly plucks the little star from the top of the tree, tucking it in her jacket pocket. It's not much, but if she knows anything about the ninja, they don't _have_ much. One decoration is the least she can contribute. Plus, the star kind of reminds her of them, anyways—

"Because it's a multicolored, flashy disaster?"

"Shut up, Dario," Skylor huffs, and she turns, running out the door just as the snow starts to pick up again.

She's met with a chorus of cheers as she hauls the van door open, and she feels her cheeks flush scarlet as she slides into the seat next to Nya — the ninja are probably the only people to ever have greeted her that way. It's…different, but nice, she guesses. Nya shifts over a bit as she reaches for her seatbelt, glancing at the others. Cole's moved to the back, and Zane seems to have swapped with him, currently locked in battle with Kai for the driver's seat.

"You had your moment, I'm driving now," Zane says, flatly. "You're banished to the back seat, so you don't kill us all before we even get there."

Kai makes a face at him, and Lloyd snickers.

"You too, Lloyd. You're a terrible influence."

"I am _not_ —"

Skylor stifles a giggle as they begrudgingly switch seats, Pixal moving to the front with Zane as Jay and Nya slide back with Cole, leaving Lloyd next to Kai in the middle.

"Hi," Kai says, turning to her and grinning.

"Hi," Skylor smiles back.

Lloyd makes a gagging noise. "Nya, _please_ switch seats with me—"

"Alright!" Jay cheerfully steamrolls over the commotion as Zane pulls the car back into traffic. "Who's ready for Mariah Carey, round five?"

Cole looks panicked, grabbing for the aux cord. "Oh no Jay, please, no, I'm begging you—"

Jay somehow retains hold of the cord, grinning savagely as the first few chords of music sound out.

 _"_ _I-I-I…don't want a lot for Christmas—_ "

"I said no—"

" _The-ere is just one thing I need—_ "

"Jay!"

Jay's singing drowns out Cole's protests as the generic Christmas music floods the car, Nya and Lloyd joining in as Pixal pulls up the lyrics on her view screen so she can torment Cole as well.

Skylor bites her lip in an attempt not to snicker too loudly at the miserable expression on Cole's face as Nya and Jay loudly serenade him from both sides. Zane seems to be the only other one on his side, starring blankly into traffic with a resigned expression on his face.

"This is the eighth time in a row they've played this," Kai explains to her, over the off-key singing. "I'd be going crazy too if it wasn't so funny."

"You guys are terrible," Skylor mutters back, grinning. "How could you do this to poor Cole."

"Ah, he loves it," Kai snickers. "He doesn't _really_ wanna be a Scrooge."

Skylor shakes her head, leaning back in the van seat, then winces as something jabs into her side.

"Oh, I forgot." She reaches for her pocket. "Here." She hands Kai the ornament she'd snatched off the shop's tree. "My contribution."

Kai takes the shiny, plastic star, running a finger over the glitter-gold designs on it. "Is this the shop star?"

"Yeah," Skylor says. "I figured you guys probably needed it more. I don't know if you even have any decorations, but…yeah."

"Thanks," Kai says, giving her a sincere smile that quickly breaks into grimace. "And you're right there. So far all we've got are cheap Christmas lights and popcorn strands, if Lloyd doesn't eat them all first."

"I wouldn't eat them _all_ ," Lloyd grumbles. He lights up as he catches sight of the star. "Oh hey, we have a star now! Nice!"

"Great," Nya says. "Now we just need a tree."

"If there are any left," Pixal murmurs under her breath.

"Hey, don't jinx us," Kai says, pointedly. "We're ninja, we'll find a tree. And, in the _worst_ case scenario that there aren't any trees left, we can just have Lloyd wear his gi and decorate him instead."

"What?!"

Kai places the star on top of Lloyd's thick blond hair, carefully balancing it. "Joy to the world," he says. "The savior's born-"

Lloyd chucks the star at him, and Skylor ducks as it nearly hits the window. Jay snickers.

"Or we can just steal one from the park," Kai says, as he tries to avoid Lloyd's stranglehold. "I saw some pretty good ones there."

"We can't do that," Zane frowns.

"Why not?" Kai says. "Cole's got the scythe to cut it with."

"My scythe isn't a saw," Cole grumbles. He lights up. "I did work as a lumberjack though. I bet I could get it cut down in like, two minutes tops—"

"We are _not_ stealing a tree from the city!" Zane looks distressed.

"We're still banned from that time Lloyd blew the fountain up, anyways," Nya mutters.

Lloyd turns to glare at her in consternation. "That was _you!_ "

"You were the one that dared me to do it!"

"Okay, guys, chill out!" Jay cuts over them. "Here, listen to the calming tones of—"

"Don't you _dare_ —"

"—Mariah Carey again!"

A chorus of groans fill the car, and Jay happily presses play, the opening notes already starting to grate on Skylor's nerves. She feels a flare of pity for Cole. Zane presses down imperceptibly on the gas, speeding the van up.

"— _this is all I'm asking for_ —"

"—murdering you when we get there, just you wait."

"— _something something, something something, something else that rhymes with for_ —"

"We've listened to this like fifteen times, how do you _still_ not know the lyrics?"

* * *

"Well, they weren't kidding when they said there were slim pickings," Cole sighs, surveying the parking lot turned tree farm.

"Aw, they're not that bad," Jay says, pulling a drooping limb on one tree up, holding it aloft. "This one's kinda…cute?"

"For a midget tree."

Jay scowls. "That better not be a height crack."

"I's definitely a height crack," Lloyd says, through a muffled mouth of popcorn. Jay cuts him a glare.

"Speak for yourself, shortie."

"Wow, _shortie_ , I've never heard that one before."

"Don't criticize my creativity, you — and hey, you're suppose to be sharing that!"

"This is why we're always getting banned from places," Nya tells Skylor as she watches Jay and Lloyd tussle over the popcorn, the sales attendant watching them warily from afar.

"Oh, I figured that out the minute they set foot on the island for the tournament," Skylor shakes her head. She watches Kai step between the two, trying to dissolve the argument. Cole and Zane have unsubtly drifted away from the others, looking for a decent tree.

Loud laughter echoes across the lot as Kai dumps popcorn down the back of Jay's hoodie, Lloyd caught between giggling at his brother and trying to wriggle out of Kai's hold.

"Lloyd looks happier," Skylor observes, hoping she's not overstepping. (And _really_ hoping she's right.)

Nya's laughter subsides, easing way to a full, satisfied sort of smile. "He does, doesn't he," she says, sounding supremely pleased with the fact.

Skylor glances at her. "What'd you do?"

"I didn't do anything." Nya's lips quirk up. "You'll have to ask Kai about that one. Or Lloyd."

"Oh," Skylor blinks. "I guess he worked things out with Garmadon, then?"

Nya shrugs. "I'm not really sure," she admits. "They made progress, I think. Counts for something."

"Progress is good," Skylor murmurs. She wraps her arms a little tighter around herself, as if to ward off some cold not brought about by the snowy weather. She pushes the heavy feeling settling in around her heart away. This isn't the time.

Besides, she can always talk with Lloyd later about it. Maybe he'll have some new wisdom after this he can share with her, about fathers.

Neither of them have had a very good track record with that kind of knowledge.

"Hey, you two," Kai calls to them, brushing popcorn from his hair. Lloyd and Jay have finally dispersed, helping search the parking lot for a tree. "You guys plan to sit there staring at us all day, or are you gonna help?"

"Stuff it, Kai," Nya rolls her eyes.

"Oh, I didn't realize you were _working_ ," Skylor says, flicking a piece of popcorn from his shoulder in amusement. "I would've helped if I'd known how responsible you were being, chucking popcorn at each other—"

"You two combined are a nightmare, nice to know," Kai mutters. Skylor stifles a laugh as Nya giggles.

"Somebody's keeping you in line then, good." Kai makes a face at Cole as he strides up, his dark hair speckled with white dustings of snow.

"I'll start singing the song again."

"Don't you dare," Cole threatens him with a fallen tree branch. He sighs, sticking it back among the brittle branches of the tree next to them. "I hate to say it, but I think we might be better off getting a fake tree this year."

"Aw, no," Nya frowns. "C'mon, we gotta keep with tradition."

"Yeah, and fake trees don't burn as well," Skylor comments. Kai shoots her a grin.

Cole's eyebrows draw together. "That's not something we _want_ in a tree—"

"Hey, guys." Lloyd interrupts them as he approaches, looking all too innocent. "Everyone's seen Charlie Brown, right?"

Kai blinks, then narrows his eyes at Lloyd's arms where they're conveniently hidden behind his back. "We are _not_ getting a midget tree, no matter what Christmas spirit speech you give us."

Lloyd sticks his lip out, bringing a scraggly little tree from behind his back. Skylor stifles a snort. It _is_ a Charlie Brown tree, as far as pathetic renditions go, and calling it more than three feet tall would be generous.

"What if we got two trees."

"No."

"But Kai—"

" _No._ "

"Kai, it's lonely."

"Lloyd, I _swear_ —"

"It's all alone, Kai, who else is gonna buy it?"

"…"

"It needs us, Kai, to give it a home—"

Skylor watches in barely-suppressed amusement as Kai's expression works furiously, his cheeks puffing out as he clearly tries to form the word _no_ and fails. Cole makes a despairing sound.

"Dude, seriously," he shakes his head. "You've gotta learn how to say no." He glares at Lloyd, a hand on his hip. "Put it back, we only need one."

Lloyd briefly makes a face of displeasure, a stubborn glare crossing his face. He glances back to Jay, as if for help, and Jay quickly pantomimes large circles around his eyes, sticking his bottom lip up in a pout. Lloyd turns back to Cole, making what Skylor's guessing is his kicked-puppy face. Cole grits his teeth.

"No."

"Aw, c'mon Cole, you're gonna say no to _that_ face?" Jay says, coming up beside Lloyd. His own expression turns downcast. "The poor runt's been trapped in the hospital, wilting away for weeks. You're going to deny him this small, holiday happiness? Really?"

Lloyd's eyes grow, if possibly, larger and semi-shiny. Cole bites back a curse.

"I hate you all," he mutters, stalking past Zane as he heads for the larger trees, handing him his wallet as he does. "We're getting two trees, I guess."

"I'm surprised you even thought you had a chance," Zane shakes his head, smiling. He turns to Lloyd and Jay, expression turning serious. "You have to keep it watered this time, alright?" He cuts Kai a look. "We really _don't_ need a tree going up in flames again."

Kai flushes. "That was _one_ time, and I wasn't the one who forgot the fire alarm batteries—"

Nya shakes her head, watching as they bicker, Lloyd cradling the ugly tree to is chest with satisfaction. "I'm gonna help Cole out," she says, inclining her head to where he's finally found a section of trees that aren't an awful excuse of a couple branches. "We need to go ahead and pick one before we end up here all night."

They argue over trees for a few minutes, dividing into teams off "we need a fat tree" versus "we need a tall tree" and Cole's lone, desperate team of "we just need _a_ tree, please pick one, for the love of FSM". Skylor puts in an opinion or two, but other than that she doesn't do much except laugh along with the others, taking a seat on a bench and letting Kai pull his hat over her hair, muttering something about _not getting cold_ before hurrying off to help Pixal where she's already trying to cut down a tree with the little laser beam installed in her arm.

Zane gives a yelp as the sound of the beam powers on, hurrying over to stop them.

"I said no firearms, we're going to get banned _again_ —"

Skylor decides she's going to steer clear of that one. Just for safety's sake, she thinks with amusement, watching as Pixal brandishes her little laser rebelliously in Zane's face.

"I can't take them anywhere," Cole says dejectedly, as he retreats from the battle briefly, standing next to her.

Skylor raises an eyebrow at him. "Weren't you the one that wrecked my father's secret passageways?"

Cole scowls. "That was different. They're destroying innocent people's hard-earned property. I _littered_ in a maniac's death tunnels, it was warranted." He glances at her, and winces. "I mean, uh…the maniac part was probably uncalled for."

Skylor shrugs. "Not really," she mutters. "I'd say it was pretty called for."

"Well, still." Cole rubs the back of his head, awkwardly. "We try to be…sensitive, with the _fathers_ topic, in this family. That goes for you too."

Skylor looks up at him, her eyes widening briefly. Cole flashes her a smile that's kind in the way Cole always is, and Skylor feels a warmth that has nothing to do with the hat Kai wrestled on her.

(Well, maybe a little bit to do with that.)

"Thanks," she says, quietly.

Cole nods. "Kai's supposed to tell you, but you're invited to our Christmas, by the way. It's uh, it won't be anything nice, 'cause we're kinda homeless-ish at the moment. Again."

Skylor stares at him in concern. "Wait, you're _what_ now—"

"We're staying at my dad's, it's good," Cole says, quickly. "And they're rebuilding the monastery, so we can stay there eventually. It's just still in progress, so only Wu and Garmadon are up there."

"Oh," Skylor blows out a relieved breath. "So…everyone crammed into your dad's house?"

Cole gives her a wry smile. "Everyone crammed into my dad's house." He pauses, an unsure expression crossing his face. "On second thought, you don't have to come if you don't—"

"No no, I'll come," Skylor says, quickly. "I — I have some free time I could spare on it, for a bit, I guess."

"Oh. Good." Cole gives her another smile that's a little too understanding, like his dark eyes have suddenly developed laser vision that are cutting right through Skylor's eight-layered walls of carefully constructed bullshit.

 _Language_ , a voice that sounds suspiciously like Kai echoes in her head. _Lloyd's around._

Either way, Skylor is _not_ about to burst into tears in the middle of some dumb tree lot in front of everyone because she's _emotional_ about getting invited to a family Christmas celebration. She's a _Chen_. She has some dignity left.

…perhaps claiming that she's a Chen doesn't actually help the dignity argument, she thinks.

There's a sudden sharp crack, immediately followed by Pixal's satisfied exclamation mixed with Zane's cry of panic, and Cole's head whips around, his eyes going wide. "Oh for _FSM's_ sake—"

He takes off, sprinting to where the now-cut tree is threatening to take Kai's head off as it falls. "Grab it, grab it!"

Skylor is left alone, fighting back the urge to laugh yet again at Cole's suffering. She's not alone for long. Lloyd trots over, ugly little Christmas tree held firmly in his arms as he takes a seat next to her, watching the commotion with a vindictive sort of amusement.

"Kai banned me from helping with the tree," he explains, exhaling on a sigh. Skylor is torn between her own amusement and satisfaction — Kai's told her how many stitches Lloyd has. At the rate their luck is going with the tree, it'd probably end up tearing Lloyd's other side open as it went down.

Lloyd doesn't seem too put out about having been banished though, she observes, as he hands her a cup of hot chocolate he bought from the stand. She accepts it gratefully, letting it warm her hands as Lloyd starts on his third cup.

She also suspects his good mood has something to do with across the lot from them, where Jay is being banished as well right after the off-balance tree accidentally knocks him in the head. Nya drags him off, reading him the riot act on injury aftercare, and Lloyd snickers unapologetically at Jay's expression. Skylor resists the urge to join in.

A brief yelp yanks their attention back to the tree, where they've finally moved to tying it on to the top of their van — _trying_ to tie it on might be a more accurate description, though.

"I think we need to give Cole a break for Christmas this year," Lloyd murmurs under his breath, sounding only the slightest bit guilty.

"You should probably stick Zane on that list," Skylor adds. Lloyd hums in agreement.

They both watch Cole struggling to balance the tree as Zane ties it to the roof of the van, Kai shouting unhelpful suggestions as he loops the rope through the inside of the car. Pixal stands back, watching the entire thing with an unimpressed look on her face. The top of the tree slips from Zane's grasp, and there's a frenzied mix of shouting as they all try to catch it, Cole just barely getting the tree back into balance as Kai props the side up. He finally steps back, shaking his head and shooting Skylor a wry glance. She gives him a cheery thumbs-up, trying not to laugh.

"He talked my dad out of his funk, by the way," Lloyd speaks up, without preamble.

Skylor looks at him in surprise, and Lloyd flashes her a lopsided grin. "I heard you and Nya talking earlier. I'm not supposed to know," he admits. "And Kai definitely doesn't know that I do, but dad told me last night. We, um, we're better now."

Skylor's eyes widen as she realizes what he's talking about. _Oh_. So that explains why Lloyd's eyes are brighter than they've been in months, why his smile feels like Lloyd she met on the island again.

"That's good to hear," she says, stifling the slight pang in her heart. She's glad, she is. One of them deserved to end up at peace with their father.

"Yeah. Apparently Kai marched in and yelled at him to suck it up and fix things between us," Lloyd continues. The grin slowly turns to a softer, full-grown smile as he looks over at Kai, where he's now struggling to help Zane tie off the tree to the car again.

"That sounds like him," Skylor says, fondly.

"He's a big fat sap," Lloyd says. "And the best big brother ever. But don't tell anyone I said that."

"Playing favorites?" Skylor eyes him, grinning.

"Psh, me? Never," Lloyd says. "Kai's just special."

Skylor nods, her eyes going soft. "Guess I agree there."

"Great!" Lloyd says, brightly. "So we're starting Christmas stuff the night before at six. Kai'll probably pick you up at five or something though, so you guys can make out in the car before."

Skylor _chokes_ , hot chocolate spraying from her nose in a painfully cocoa-scented rush. She doubles over, eyes tearing up as she wheezes, and Lloyd bursts into cackles.

"That's not — we're not—" Skylor sputters, trying to regain her composure, as if that's possible when she's got hot chocolate all over her now. She finally decides that _not_ answering is probably her best bet, just in case she manages to make it worse—

"Hey, we're about ready to - woah, are you okay?"

Oh no, _this_ is worse. Lloyd jumps up as Kai hurries over, his eyes all concern as he watches Skylor wipe hot chocolate from her nose.

 _Fantastic_.

"All good here!" Lloyd says cheerily, as he — _curse him_ — darts off to help Cole finish the last of the ties, leaving Skylor with _making out with Kai in the car_ stuck in her brain.

Kai blinks as Lloyd zips past him, then turns back to Skylor, looking only minimally less concerned. "Did you…choke, or something?"

"Or something," Skylor mutters darkly, wiping at her still-watering eyes. "I'm fine," she sniffs. "You were right. He _is_ a demon spawn."

Kai snorts, glancing back at Lloyd with one of those fond, sappy looks he gets. "Yeah, he is," he says without malice. "What'd he say this time?"

Skylor looks at him briefly. She looks down at what's left of her hot chocolate.

She takes a long, measured sip instead of answering. She can only take so much indignity today.


	23. Chapter 23

**In a stunning turn of events, I've used up about all my angst for this fic, so tada! It's mostly gross fluff with a seasoned side of the ninja being dumb from here on out. Finally on the last stretch here - only two chapters left in this fic, so I'm hoping to have it ( _finally_ ) wrapped up soon. In the meantime, here's Lloyd attempting to have a normal night out, with Rachel and Brad not really helping that much. **

**A huge thanks as always to all the lovely people that take the time to review! I've finally started getting to replies, but to the guests especially (and people without profiles, such as Bob, whom I still love) thank you so, so very much!**

 **(On another note: Lloyd totally loves Luke Skywalker, but he likes to think he's unique.)**

* * *

On second thought, casually telling his family that he's going to a winter dance at some random person they've never met's high school is a terrible idea. Like, on the list of Lloyd's Greatest Ideas Ever, it probably falls just below _not_ telling them he was breaking out of the hospital. Or that time he _did_ tell them he jumped from an exploding plane into the ocean, when he could've just like, lied instead and saved his dad several more gray hairs instead. Lloyd isn't always the greatest at making decisions, which is why it's kinda hysterical that he's the designated leader at this point.

...look, he can come through when he needs to.

In the meantime, he just wishes somebody actually _respected_ him as a leader, at all. He bites his lip, trying very hard not to sulk, because he's not _sulking_ , he's just…

Alright, he needs a better synonym then pouting, give him a minute. Getting back to the point, he had only _meant_ to tell Kai, really. Kai's got the most girl experience, for one. _His_ secretly-a-traitor girlfriend turned to the good side, because the world is just _fair_ like that. And two, Kai is Lloyd's older brother, and older brothers are supposed to know how to dress up fancy, right? If he was gonna trust any of them to know, it'd be Kai, Lloyd had decided.

He'd also trusted Kai not to tell anyone, for some dumb reason.

Actually, that's not fair to Kai. It's Lloyd's fault for not realizing that there's literally no way his family _wasn't_ going to find out.

He hadn't even made a big deal out of it though, or anything. He'd just…casually mentioned to Kai that he'd been invited to a dance and was planning on going, could he maybe help Lloyd find something to wear, and possibly get his hair to look less like it'd been blow-dried by an airplane propellor for once?

Kai's breath wheezes out of him like he's been solidly socked in the chest. Lloyd watches in half-amusement, half-horror as his brother goes through what looks like the five stages of grief, if the five stages of grief ended in an expression of _"Lloyd I love you but you're the biggest moron I know, you're going to put me in the grave early, do you have a death wish, don't answer that—"_

"Breathe," Lloyd reminds him, trying not to sound too panicked as Kai's face turns purple. This is not going as well as he'd hoped. "Kai, it's okay. She's chill, I promise."

"Oh, you _promise_ ," Kai hisses, looking like Lloyd's promised him a spitting cobra is a safe house pet.

Lloyd rolls his eyes. " _Yeah_ , I _promise_. Stop being such a drama queen."

"I'm not being a _drama queen_ , I'm making sure you don't end up in cage number eighty-five."

Lloyd sputters. " _Three_ cages, there have only been three cages!"

Kai's eyes narrow. "Golden power. Overlord."

Lloyd opens his mouth, then pauses. He frowns. Aw, _rats_ , speaking of jumping from exploding planes. He'd forgotten about that one. _Technically,_ that wasn't even a cage, though! Just a gold, glowing, uh…containment thing specifically meant for imprisoning people.

"A cage," Kai groans, running his hand over his face. "Just say cage."

"Fine, okay, that's still only four!" Lloyd snaps. "The point is, Rachel isn't gonna lock me in a cage. She's normal. I'm like, seventy percent sure."

Kai takes a deep, strained breath.

"She hasn't tried to kill me yet, okay!" Lloyd throws his arms up. "Plus, Brad'll be there, so safety in numbers?"

" _Brad_ does not inspire confidence," Kai mutters.

Lloyd flops down on the couch, resisting the urge to smother himself with one of the pillows. "Kai, please," he begs, almost surprised at how pleading his voice sounds. "I…I really want to go to this."

And he does, Lloyd is surprised to find. He _wants_ to go to the dumb high school dance. He wants to see what it's like, if it's like Jay's one sappy romcom or that one horror movie where the prom queen kills everyone, or if it's just regularly _boring_. He wants to pretend he's just another normal kid for a few hours, wants to pull pranks with Brad and show Rachel the pictures of dogs he photoshopped the other night.

Uncle Wu would be _so_ disappointed with him if he heard that, Lloyd thinks glumly. So much for inheriting familial responsibility.

Kai looks at him, his jaw working. He finally slumps down on the couch next to Lloyd, exhaling wearily. He leans his head back, staring up at the ceiling.

"…you really want _my_ fashion advice?"

Lloyd glances at him with dawning hope, trying not to look too excited. "Well yeah, duh," he says. "And um, help with the hair. Mostly help with the hair."

Kai cracks a smile. "Well, when you put it like that." He runs a hand across his face with a resigned expression, then sits up abruptly.

"We're gonna get a year's worth of grief from the others, but Nya'll probably side with us, so I think we can swing it," he says. "You gotta be on your best behavior — no stupid risks, and definitely no rooftop excursions or anything — but I think it'll be fine."

Lloyd blinks, his eyes going wide. "Wait, you're serious?"

Kai smirks at him, ruffling his hair and pushing the wavy strands that frame Lloyd's face back. Lloyd is in enough shock not to shrug him off. "Well yeah, duh," Kai echoes. "I trust you, believe it or not."

Lloyd's mouth splits into a grin that almost hurts his cheeks. He's again taken aback by the rush of excitement that hits him — what _is_ this? He's not a teenaged girl, why is he getting excited about running free for a night and shrugging off all responsibility whatsoever—

Oh, maybe that's it.

"You're the actual best," Lloyd manages.

Kai grins brightly. "Tell me something new," he says, airily. "You can compliment me after I've found you a tux."

"Deal," Lloyd grins back, and oh, Kai's gonna have the biggest head after this, but Lloyd can't really bring himself to mind.

"I'm gonna need you to wear like sixty trackers and a bulletproof vest under that tux, by the way."

"Yeah, yeah, I figured," Lloyd huffs.

* * *

The promise of sixty trackers and a bulletproof vest doesn't really sell everyone else on it, but by the time Lloyd's reached a level of frustration high enough to consider bringing out tears, Nya reaches the decision that his social life is in greater peril than his actual life here, and once _Nya's_ given him the all-clear, no one else really stands a chance.

Not even his dad, who's developed a case of anxiety that rivals Kai's.

"Didn't the last… _girl_ , he talked to, try to kill him?" Garmadon's telling his mom, agitated. "This is our son, Misako, and I love him, but his judgement is…"

"Perfectly fine in this case, I've done three background checks and there's nothing unusual," Nya announces. "She's got both parents, and they've never had any property damage or lost any business because of us. There's no history of ancient evils in her family, and all her relatives live boring, normal lives outside the city. Her mom's a hairdresser, her dad works as a nurse, she goes to West Ninjago High, plays on the basketball team in the winter and the baseball team in the summer, and one time she did a presentation on why Cole's the best ninja."

They all gape at her.

"Invasion of privacy," Lloyd wheezes, as Kai tries to get him to sit still under the comb he's brandishing.

"Brad's a little tougher to get at, but as far as I'm concerned, Lloyd can handle him," Nya continues, ignoring him. "So he's in the clear, as far as potential dirty backstabbers go."

"There you go," Cole says, satisfied. "No need for violence."

" _Yet_ ," Pixal says, sounding a little too serious.

Lloyd tries not to sulk again, settling for a weary sigh and slouching on the stool Kai's trapped him on instead.

The Brookstone house is unusually crowded this evening, everyone amassed in the living room together for once. It's kind of weird, actually — not seeing everyone, of course, just actually seeing them all _together_. Echo's huddled over in the corner with Pixal, muttering something about arm lasers, while Zane looks on in concern. Kai and Nya's parents came by earlier, and Skylor dropped by afterwards. Even Ronin's stopped in, to talk to Nya about something she won't let any of them know about. Typical.

Lloyd would normally be _perfectly happy_ to see everyone, if he wasn't smack in the middle of the worst moment of his life.

"You're gonna fix his hair, right?" Ronin says from across the room, squinting at him. "You gotta do something with that mess."

"Yes, and _I'm_ the one he asked for help getting ready, so keep your unhelpful mouth shut," Kai snaps.

"He knows how to dance, right?" Skylor asks, eyeing Lloyd in concern. "I know you don't, Kai, but Cole does, right?"

"Oh yeah, Cole _could've_ taught him to dance, but apparently all he'd learn is tap dancing or _ballet_ ," Kai scowls.

"It's not _my_ fault my dad never enrolled me in couple's dancing," Cole exclaims, offended.

"I did, actually," Mr. Brookstone says. "You tripped into your partner and the both of you took a mirror out, and then you swore you'd die if I made you go back."

" _Thank_ you, for that," Cole grits out, as Jay cackles wildly behind him.

"Smooth with the ladies from day one, that's Cole for ya."

Cole glares at him. "Like you're one to talk, you haven't even gotten Nya a present yet."

"You _snitch_ , how could you just _tell_ her that—!"

Nya ignores them, studiously brushing off what Lloyd's positive is an imaginary piece of lint from the collar of his dress shirt. It's a nice one, rented from some fancy dress clothes place and everything. Kai promises it's the height of fashion, and Zane agreed, so it must be.

Lloyd hates it.

"You have a corsage for her, right?" Nya asks him.

Lloyd chokes. "A…a _corsage?_ "

"Pixal, d'you think you can get a corsage in the next ten minutes," Nya sighs.

"Of course," Pixal says, sliding from her chair. "What flowers would you like, Lloyd?"

He blinks at her. Lloyd doesn't even know what a corsage _is_ , much less what flowers he wants. He just wants Kai to stop pulling at his hair.

"If you'd stop fidgeting so much, it wouldn't hurt," Kai grumbles, dragging the comb through another snarl of tangles. "Get something red," he tells Pixal. "So it matches the tie and all."

"I still say you should've gone with a blue tie," Jay says.

"Or a green one, at least," Garmadon grumbles, thoroughly put out that Kai has taken over as supreme dictator of Lloyd's life for the evening. Lloyd could honestly care less at this point. He's got way bigger problems than his dad and Kai having it out for each other, friendly competition or not. He has _zero_ idea how to dance, no clue what tie he's supposed to be wearing, a hint of a bad idea why Kai has that much hair gel, and would someone _please_ tell him what a _corsage_ is—

"You'll be fine," his dad tells him, as Kai starts lathering gel into his hair.

"I dunno," Lloyd mutters. "I think I might just trip in the snow on the way in and die."

Garmadon laughs. "I have more faith in you than that." He pauses, eyebrows furrowing. "On the other hand, if you _do_ want to stay home, that's fine as well. No one would blame you if you wanted to stay here, with us, where it's safe—"

"Dad, I appreciate it, but I'm not gonna get jumped at a high school dance."

"You never know," Garmadon says, trying to look unconcerned and failing completely.

"Alright, hold still," Kai tells him, grabbing his shoulders and forcing him in place. "Let your hair set, I'm gonna grab the tie."

Lloyd makes a face, swinging his leg out and letting it bounce against the stool leg. He watches Jay with envy, where he's lounging in his pajama pants with between Cole and Ronin as they play video games on Cole's dad's TV. He wouldn't have gotten so excited about this if he knew it'd meant _dressing up_.

Garmadon seems to read his thoughts, and he gives a sympathetic chuckle. He brings a gentle hand to his shoulder, and Lloyd — he can't _help_ it. He flinches away. Not too violently, but enough for his father to snatch his hand back, his expression crumpling. Enough for Lloyd to _hate_ himself.

"N-no, I'm sorry, I—" Lloyd bites his lip. Oh, curse her, curse Harumi to heck and back, this is _her_ fault, it's her fault Lloyd can't shake the awful memories of that prison and that fight and his father's snarled words and — oh no, no, he's never going to get over it, is he, he's going to be flinching away from his father for the rest of his life because he's _pathetic_ —

"—Lloyd, it's fine, please!"

Lloyd comes back to the present with a little gasp, his heart racing. His father is staring at him in concern, his hand hovering awkwardly just above Lloyd's shoulder. Lloyd blinks, realizing his hands are shaking. He hadn't even noticed he'd been slipping away.

"It's alright." His father's eyes hold nothing but kindness, and Lloyd almost wants to cry. "I understand, alright? Don't…don't look like that. Like you're blaming yourself."

"Yeah," Lloyd says quickly, his face heating as he looks down at his feet. He's supposed to have it together better than this. He needs to be in normal teenager mode, not — _traumatized_ mode, or whatever he's been living in the past week.

"It's alright," Garmadon repeats, rubbing his shoulder. Lloyd is pleased to find that he doesn't even wince this time. "Now drop that sad look, before Kai strangles me with your tie."

* * *

A corsage, as it turns out, is a bunch of flowers on a bracelet. Lame. Lloyd was expecting something a least a little cooler. Apparently dress clothes are just lame all around, he decides, pulling at the neck of his tie in irritation. Who invented _this_ as the height of formal fashion? He wants to file a complaint.

"Stop that, you're gonna mess it up," Kai says, swatting at his hand.

"I don't like it," Lloyd mutters, fully aware of how childish he sounds and stubbornly refusing to care. "I look stupid."

Kai looks scandalized. "Excuse me, are you doubting my style expertise?"

"Don't worry Lloyd, you look perfectly acceptable by dance standards," Zane tells him.

"You look adorable," Nya adds, as if that's supposed to _help_.

"Yeah," Jay's smile is all teeth. "You look so _cute_."

"Absolutely precious," Cole grins.

"Like a little duckling off to his first dance-"

"Great, thanks," Lloyd mutters, suddenly wishing the tie was ten times tighter, so he could _actually_ suffocate to death.

"You look fine," Kai says, rolling his eyes. "You're an honorary Smith sibling, it's in the family to always look fashion-forward."

"Good, because he isn't going to get it from our side," Misako mutters.

Garmadon gives her an offended look. "What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"I love you, but seeing the pictures from our wedding again brought back a few _reminders_."

"What do you—"

Headlights suddenly race across the window curtains, and Lloyd jumps to his feet, ducking out from Kai's hold.

"That's them!" he says, quickly. "I'm off, bye guys—"

"Nuh-uh, buddy." Nya stops his escape dead with a solid arm block to his chest. Lloyd wheezes, glaring at her. "You promised. Bring 'em in here."

Lloyd glances around the room in last-ditch desperation, but he finds no mercy. "Fine," he groans, trudging toward the door. "Be right back."

He staunchly ignores everything Jay calls after him, slamming the door shut as he hurries toward the car. Rachel's already hopped out from the passenger seat and is walking quickly toward him, rubbing her arms against the cold.

"Oh hey, that was fast," she grins, meeting him halfway in the Brookstone's yard. She tugs on one of her sleeves, bouncing slightly in the little ballet flats she's got on. Lloyd flounders, momentarily at a loss. She looks way different than she did when they met at the hospital, her hair all poofed out and curly, the lavender dress she's got on coming just to her knees, the sleeves long and sparkly. She looks pretty, but Lloyd has zero idea whether he should tell her that or not. Darn it, Kai didn't prep him for this at _all_. Lloyd tugs at his tie again, silently praying he's at least passed the fashion test here, whatever it is.

"Wow, you look great!" Rachel saves him from his internal panic, her voice bright. "I like your tie, the red's nice. It matches your eyes."

"Oh, uh…thanks?" Lloyd says, trying not to sweat. "I, um, felt like changing it up. From green all the time, you know."

"Oh yeah, I get that," Rachel nods. "I was actually gonna wear green," she admits, tugging at the edge of her dress. "But I though that might be overkill."

"Oh," Lloyd laughs weakly. "Yeah. It, um, you look nice. Purple is nice."

 _Purple is nice?_ Lloyd's not even gonna make it _to_ the dance, nope, he's gonna lay down right here in the snow and die.

"Would you guys get in the car already?" Brad appears at the car window, hollering at them. "We're gonna be late!"

"No we're not!" Rachel yells back. "We've gotta meet Lloyd's family first, remember? I have to swear that we're gonna bring him back not-murdered!"

"Oh yeah, right," Brad mutters. He twists the keys, turning the car off and hopping out after them. "Let's meet the family, then."

"Yeah," Lloyd sighs, as he leads them to the front door. "We can just…say hi real quick to everyone—"

He freezes. _Everyone_. Almost _all_ the people he knows, pretty much, are in the house right now. This isn't a coincidence, he realizes in horror. This is a _setup_. Even Ronin and Skylor are here, how could he be this stupid—

"Never mind," he hisses to them, backing away from the porch. "Abort, abort—"

"Wait!" Rachel protests, craning her head up over the window. "Lloyd, I think I see _Samurai X!_ Is that Samurai X?"

"Ooh, yeah, I heard she joined up with you guys," Brad adds, joining Rachel by the window. "Wow, Lloyd, is your entire family here?"

A bunch of _traitors_ are here, Lloyd thinks in numb disbelief. "I mean, my mom and dad are here," he manages, trying to decide how to best get out of this one. "The rest are just…" He trails off, not sure where he wants to go with that sentence.

"Your family too, right?" Brad says, absently. "That's what we figured when you came back to Darkley's. Heh, you can really stick it to Gene now, huh? You've got a _way_ bigger family than he does. And a way cooler one, too."

Lloyd blinks. Well, his family _family_ is here, even if Uncle Wu's hiding in the back. Then the ninja, they're obviously his family, so by proxy that makes their parents part of it too, and he guesses he kinda _did_ include Skylor as family the other day, and Pixal, and Ronin and Dareth and everyone are close enough to…

 _Huh_.

"If you're scared about us embarrassing you, don't worry," Brad tells him. "Rachel's a disaster with new people, but I'm great."

"I've met Kai, thank you very much," Rachel sniffs. "And he liked me. Sort of. Maybe. He didn't kill me, so that's a point in my favor."

"Wait, you _met_ Kai?" Lloyd blinks, frowning. Kai didn't tell him about that, he just grilled the life out of him for running off with a girl. Has he been going behind Lloyd's back to make threats again? "How'd you meet him?"

"Oh, he was—" Rachel cuts off abruptly. She opens her mouth, then closes it, a brief flash of panic crossing her face before she quickly schools her expression. "He, uh, my mom's a hair stylist, and she needed extra hair gel? So we bumped into each other at the store."

"Say no more," Lloyd mutters. He turns back toward the door, sighing. _His entire family._ "Alright, let's get this over with."

Brad beats him to it, shoving the door open and grinning brightly. "Hi!" he says, with a confidence Lloyd definitely doesn't have. "We're Lloyd's dates tonight, nice to meet you all."

Again, Lloyd wants to _die_.

Miraculously, nobody murders Brad on the spot for that one, Nya greeting him cordially instead, which is the best Lloyd could hope for, probably. Rachel bypasses them all, marching straight for Kai, heedless of the intense stare she's getting, and Lloyd suddenly decides that she might be the bravest person he's ever met.

Also the dumbest, because she's gotta walk past all three of the rest of his brothers for that.

She stops just in front of Kai, straightening. "I couldn't get my hands on a real sword or anything," she tells him, her expression gravely serious. "But I have extra-strength pepper spray that's technically meant for bears in my purse, and I brought my baseball bat in the trunk of the car just in case, so if anyone tries to mess with him I'll take 'em out."

Kai eyes her, his gaze shrewd. Then he gives a single nod, his expression lightening in what looks like approval. "You're learning well, then," he says. "Off to a good start."

Lloyd stares between the two wordlessly. "What's happening here," he says, blankly.

"I'll have him back by midnight," Rachel continues, ignoring Lloyd. "Um. Sir."

Kai narrows his eyes. "Ten."

"Eleven."

Kai's expression twists briefly, but he relents. "Eleven. No later."

Lloyd looks between them both again, glances at his watch, and decides to move things along before this gets any worse. "Okay great, you've met Kai," he says, ushering Rachel along. "This is my mom—"

"Hello, dear, nice to meet you."

"—and this is Cole-Jay-and-Zane, they're my other brothers—"

"'Sup, dog girl."

"—and also _annoying_ , they all suck, don't listen to anything they say."

"Wow, ungrateful brat."

"And this is Nya, she's the best ever—"

"You're the _water ninja_ , hey I'm a huge fan—"

"—and Pixal, Skylor, Echo, Ronin, Dareth, uh, Cole's dad, and those are Kai and Nya's parents—"

Oh _FSM_ , why are there so many people here—

"—this is my Uncle Wu, he's pretty cool—"

"A pleasure, Rachel."

"—and this is, uh…this is my dad," Lloyd's voice goes weak as he gestures. "Lor- Garmadon."

If he hadn't already overkilled it, he could probably have _seen_ Rachel's brain screech to a halt. "Oh," she says, a little faintly. "Ah. Um, hi."

"Hello," Garmadon says, a barely-suppressed smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. "Nice to meet you, Rachel. I've heard a lot about you."

Lloyd gapes at him. _Seriously?_ Alright, they need to leave _now_ , before his father decides to start telling any embarrassing stories about him, like the time he accidentally dyed his hair blue, or that one time he unleashed three whole tribes of vicious snakes on the world.

Lloyd grabs Rachel's arm, shooting his dad a _look_ as he quickly tugs her toward the door. "Great, we're gonna go now, okay? Brad?"

Brad glances over from where he's staring at Cole's glowing arms in awe. "Oh, yeah, shoot — we're gonna be late, snap out of it, Rae! We still gotta pick up Gene's cousin!"

"Late, right," Rachel says, still gaping at Garmadon with eyes the size of dinner plates. She blinks rapidly, then shakes her head. "Okay, yeah, okay — we've gotta go now, sorry, it was nice to meet you all!"

There's a chorus of mostly pleasant responses, mixed with a couple of suggestive looks Lloyd ignores with every fiber of his being. He manages to shove Brad and Rachel through the door unhindered, then he pauses in the doorway, giving all the _traitors_ the hottest glare he can manage.

"You're all _toast_ when I get back," he hisses.

He's met with the most unapologetic grins he's ever seen in his life.

"Have fun, duckling," Jay waves cheerily at him. "Don't step on her toes."

"And avoid the punch bowl!" Cole calls. "You don't wanna drink anything that's spiked!"

"And for the love of everything good, _do_ _not_ run off into any dark corners with her—"

" _Toast_ ," Lloyd repeats emphatically, then slams the door, all but sprinting for the car.

* * *

Lloyd's having a lot of second thoughts tonight, he realizes. For example, on another second thought, he shouldn't have even walked through the gym-turned-dance-floor's doors, he should've just died when he had the chance. Chanc _es_. He's had a lot of chances to die, why didn't he ever take any of those—

Rachel bumps his leg with hers. She's sitting next to him where they're hiding back at a table, watching Brad ( _attempt_ ) to dance with Gene's cousin, Mina. She must've noticed Lloyd's abject terror at the thought of going out there, because her next words are "Hey, you don't have to dance if you don't want to."

Lloyd exhales. "N-no, I want to," he says, completely confident. Calm and cool, just like Kai. He gives her a grin he hopes isn't too weak. "I mean, that's what we're here for, right? Normal, uh, teen stuff."

Rachel shrugs. "I mean, I guess," she says. "But you're not really a normal teen."

Lloyd winces. He's _aware_ of that, thanks. He looks down, and Rachel blinks rapidly, something like realization dawning in her eyes.

"Wait, I didn't mean it like—" She bites her lip and mutters something that might be a curse under her breath.

"Nah, you're fine," Lloyd says, trying to smile. "I don't really have a lot in common with like…anyone here. So yeah, um. Not normal."

Rachel stares at him, her eyes wide. Emotion flashes across her face, and her lips tighten into a stubborn expression.

"Okay, look," she huffs. "Your family's crazy, right?"

"Obviously," Lloyd mutters.

"So's mine," Rachel says. "I've got twin brothers who like to reenact that one _Shining_ scene whenever new people come over, and my dad keeps spiders as pets."

" _Spiders?_ " Lloyd wrinkles his nose.

"Yeah, horrifying, right?" Rachel shudders. "And don't even get me started on the uncle I've got who lives out east, he only hangs out with snakes." She shakes her head. "Like, they're not super-powered ninjas or anything, but they're still crazy."

Lloyd stares at her. It's not even remotely the same, he wants to tell her, because no matter what weird habits her family has, there's no way she's ever gonna compete with traversing different realms or getting possessed by your undead cousin you didn't know existed. But she's _trying_ , he realizes — she's genuinely trying to make him feel better, and that's an offer too tempting to pass up.

"Cole likes to cut all the sleeves off his shirts," he offers.

Rachel grins at him. "See? Crazy. Normal for _you_ is way different than normal for me, but at least we've got one thing in common." She nods at the dance floor. "So…you wanna try?"

Lloyd bites his lip. He doesn't, not really, but he's come all this way, and he's wearing a _tie_.

He stands, tugging the edge of his jacket down and offering Rachel a hand. "I can't waltz," he warns her.

Rachel snorts, taking his hand and following him to the dance floor. "Psh, the waltz is overrated anyways," she says. "We can just improvise until they give in and turn on the fun music."

"Okay." Lloyd can improvise. "So uh, hands…"

"Like this." Rachel sets one of his hands on her waist, then grabs the other one, letting it hover in the air. She puts her other hand on his shoulder, then straightens. "And now we just…move. I think."

Despite the intense awkwardness, Lloyd has to work not to dissolve into nervous giggles. "We just move, huh."

"I don't see _you_ offering any pointers," Rachel scowls, squinting down at their feet as they try to match the beat of the music.

Lloyd grins. "Okay, fine. Um…I'm supposed to spin you at some point, right?"

Rachel shrugs. "Maybe?" she says. Her cheeks darken. "Okay, full disclosure, I don't know anything about ballroom dancing."

"Oh, good," Lloyd says. "'Cause I know absolutely nothing. Obviously. I mean, Cole tried to teach me…something? But it definitely wasn't this. So I'm clueless."

Rachel giggles. "Hey, two things we've got in common," she says. "See? You're as basic as I am. ...in a way."

"You've got purple streaks in your hair," Lloyd frowns. "And you have an army of dogs. That's not basic."

"The streaks are just temporary," Rachel admits. "Mom helped with 'em. _I_ wanted to do two buns of the side of my head, like—"

"Princess Leia?"

"Yeah, like Leia!" Rachel beams. Her eyes narrow. "Wait. I _knew_ you'd seen Star Wars, you liar—"

"You called me Luke _once_ , I wasn't about to open up the whole can of worms!"

"C'mon, Lloyd, your life practically _is_ Star Wars, you can't just waste this opportunity."

"I am _not_ Luke Skywalker," Lloyd grumbles. "I'm way cooler."

"Yeah," Rachel rolls her eyes. "I bet Luke Skywalker could actually dance."

"Okay, _hey_ , you know what?" Lloyd sets his jaw in determination. "We're doing this spinning thing."

"Are we?"

"Yeah," Lloyd says. "I got it. Just—"

He spins Rachel out, and she turns into it, delighted. She laughs, whirling back in, and Lloyd takes a step back—

—right into the drink table, sending the entire thing toppling as the punch bowl goes flying and screams erupt from behind them.

Lloyd _definitely_ should have died when he had the chance.

* * *

"I'm never showing my face in public again."

"Oh, c'mon, it wasn't that bad," Rachel says, consolingly. Lloyd can only marvel at how sympathetic she's being toward him right now, considering she's got drying punch all over the left side of her dress because of him.

"Dude," Brad wheezes, still doubled over in laughter. "You knocked the entire drink table. The _entire_ drink table over on Gene. This is the best night of my _life_ , you're immortal now—"

"Can we _please_ forget that ever happened," Lloyd buries his face in his hands. Snow drifts lazily onto his shoulders where he's huddled up on a bench in the school courtyard, and he wonders how long it'll take for snow to bury him completely.

"No way," Brad snickers. "I'm never letting this go, are you kidding me? The look on your face when you went down—"

" _Brad_ ," Rachel says, pointedly.

"Okay, okay, geez," Brad says, his laughter subsiding. "Seriously, Lloyd. It's not a big deal."

"Go away," Lloyd moans from his hands. "Leave me to die."

"No one's leaving you to die." Rachel pats his shoulder. "Look, it's been like, half an hour. I'm sure everyone's forgotten by now, if you wanna….go back in…"

She sounds around as enthusiastic about the idea as Lloyd is, which is not enthusiastic at _all_.

"Maybe we could give it another hour," Rachel mutters.

"Or forever," Lloyd adds.

"Okay, enough of this." Lloyd looks up as Brad stands, brushing snow off his dress pants. "Forget the dance for now. Slow dancing's lame, anyways. Wanna see if an ice cream place is still open, and chill there until the fun music starts?"

Rachel wrinkles her nose. "Ice cream _now?_ It's freezing _._ "

"What, are you chicken?" Brad jeers. He yelps as Rachel kicks the back of his knee in, sending him stumbling.

"No, I'm just sane," she says. "What about hot chocolate? Or something like, seasonally appropriate?"

" 'Seasonally appropriate', who even are you—"

"Lloyd, what do you think?" Rachel steamrolls over Brad, looking at him intently. "Anything sound good?"

"Um…" Lloyd stares at them. Both options sound nice, actually, and they certainly sound _way_ better than going back in to the dance, but he's not…really supposed to go anywhere else. He'd kinda promised not to run off, or risk any trouble like that, and he really _does_ want to keep that promise.

He meets Rachel and Brad's open looks, and bites his lip. Well…no one _has_ to know…and he _is_ already out…

You know what, Lloyd is _out._ Disgraced from dancing and embarrassed for life, but he's not in the hospital and he's not on a mission and he's _free_. Responsibility can eat it.

(For now.)

"What about actual food, like fries?"

Brad stares at him. "You… _don't_ want sugar?"

Lloyd shrugs. "I want fries."

"I think he's possessed," Brad tells Rachel, somberly.

"Nope," Lloyd says gleefully, delighted to find that the word _possessed_ doesn't even grate a nerve. "I just want fries. Have you ever tried dipping them in a milkshake?"

"Dipping them in _what?_ "

"Oh yeah, I have heard of that," Rachel chimes in. "It's supposed to be pretty good, actually! And I think there's a fast food restaurant open down the road, so…"

"What is _wrong_ with you guys—"

Lloyd ignores him. He feels light, bubbly and free like he hasn't in a while. It's a dangerous kind of light, the one that gets him in trouble because he stops caring about standards and appearances, but—

He's half-covered in spiked punch and there's no way he's getting this tie back on properly himself. He can't really find it in him to care, at the moment.

"Yeah," he says, grinning. "Let's go."

Brad looks between them both, then sighs. "Fine. I'll tell Mina."

* * *

Mr. Brookstone needs a new clock, Kai decides. Because this one moves at the _slowest_ , single most glacial pace he's ever seen.

"Watching the clock won't wake it go any faster, Kai."

Kai pointedly ignores Zane. "This sucks," he groans, burying his face in his hands. "Wasn't Lloyd supposed to text us every hour to check in?"

"No, he was supposed to text us if something went wrong," Nya says absently, scrolling through her phone feed. "Which he hasn't, so I'm sure he's fine."

"Hmph," Kai crosses his arms. "I don't trust that."

"I detected no visible malice from either of them," Zane tells him, voice reassuring. "Lloyd would inform us if he ran into trouble. It's likely he's simply having fun."

"Yeah, okay," Kai says. " _Or_ he's being tortured to death as we speak."

"Oh yeah, I'm sure he's suffering unspeakable pain under the untold agony of the Cha-Cha Slide right now."

Kai cuts a glare at Jay, who rolls his eyes at him. "Seriously, Kai, chill out. You gotta have _some_ trust in people. What kind of life is Lloyd gonna have if he's got it in his head that everyone's out to kill him?"

Kai bites back a retort, refolding his arms and chewing on his lip instead. Cole pats his shoulder as he passes, bringing another cooled cup of coffee to the kitchen sink. Kai watches the coffee leave longingly, then turn his attention to his sister. Nya meets his gaze, an unspoken debate passing between them, and Kai sighs, his posture slumping.

As much as he'd _like_ to keep arguing, the thing is, Jay's hitting the nail on the head. There's this problem here, kind of a paradox — Harumi tore Lloyd _apart_. Raked her claws through him and probably left wounds that won't ever heal. So the idea of Lloyd hanging out with another girl who's interested in him, for whatever reason, so soon after that, just _screams_ like a bad idea.

But on the other hand…

One of those wounds Harumi left is a hesitance to trust. That lurking suspicion in Lloyd's eyes that everyone on the streets is out to hurt him, that any unknown person could be secretly harboring some hatred for him. And it _hurts_ , to see that quiet fear in his eyes when he talks to the citizens of Ninjago now, when there used to be nothing but open happiness and kindness.

But he seems like he actually… _did_ enjoy briefly hanging out with this girl — Rachel, or whatever. So if she's not, in fact, a psychopath, and someone who genuinely just wants to be his friend, then…that might go a long way to helping heal that wound. Might remind Lloyd that a lot of people in the world aren't out to hurt him, and that he's a genuinely good person worthy of friendship and happiness and all that, and there are people beyond just the ninja and their close circle of friends who can give that to him.

Of course, if she _does_ end up being out to hurt him, it's going to make everything nine billion times worse, and Kai's gonna go to jail for cold-blooded manslaughter most likely, so it's kind of a gamble at this point.

"It's five 'til," Kai mutters, glaring at the clock. "Rachel promised eleven on the dot. If he's not here…"

"He's got five whole minutes, relax," Cole says, wearily. "Besides, I used to stay out way later than I was supposed to on dance nights. Let him live a little."

" _You_ didn't have a target on your back the size of a skyscraper."

Before Cole can reply, a car door slams, loud voices echoing across the Brookstone's lawn. Kai and Nya lock eyes, but before he can move the door's swinging open, Lloyd tumbling in breathlessly.

"Right on time," he announces brightly, brushing snow from his hair.

"Cutting it close," Kai retorts, but he's too relieved for anything else.

"Welcome back, Romeo," Jay grins. "How was it?"

Lloyd rolls his eyes, tugging his dress jacket off (which Kai notes is stained with something that looks suspiciously like soda, or punch). "It was fun!" he says, his eyes lit up. "There were a lot of people there, which was a little much, at first, but Brad and Rachel were super nice, and I got to meet Gene's cousin, Mina. And I danced, sorta? I also knocked a drink table over. Um, on accident. But it was still fun!"

"Knocked over…a drink table?" Zane looks concerned.

Cole wheezes out a laugh. "Of course you did."

"Yeah, yeah, like _you_ would've been the picture of grace," Lloyd glares. "Hey, where'd everyone else go?"

"We banished them," Nya says. "Figured you got grilled enough for one night."

"You're welcome," Cole adds, as Lloyd deflates in relief.

"But you're totally gonna have to give your parents the full details later," Jay warns him. "Your dad was on edge like, the entire evening."

"Him and everyone else," Lloyd mutters, side-eyeing Kai. Kai just grins, tossing an arm around Lloyd's shoulders and pulling him close.

"We've got good reason." He starts to ruffle his hair, then frowns as his fingers come away damp. "Is this...punch?"

Lloyd ducks out from his arm, scowling. "Maybe," he mumbles. "Drink table, remember?"

"Did you go _swimming_ in it?"

"No!" Lloyd snaps, flushing. "We're done talking about this. I'm going to change out of this straightjacket, and then I'm going to watch the last few episodes of season two of _Starfarer_ , because this was the most stressful night ever and I _deserve_ it."

"Drama queen!" Jay hollers at his back.

"I could actually go for a _Starfarer_ marathon right now," Cole yawns, stretching his arms over his head. "Sounds like a nice break from all the Christmas specials."

"Rudolph is a _classic_ ," Jay says, scandalized.

"For the first time, perhaps," Zane mutters. "The eighth time, though…"

The three fall into bickering over movies as Kai finally lets himself relax, slumping over on the couch. Nya comes up after a moment, taking a seat next to him.

"What'd I tell you," she says, smugly. "He was perfectly fine."

"Yeah, well," Kai huffs. "It's Lloyd, y'know?"

"Yeah, I know." Nya grins at him fondly. "You big overprotective sap, you."

"S'my job," Kai says.

"Yeah," Nya murmurs, leaning her head on his shoulder. "I know."

By the time the guys finally get the _Starfarer_ opening credits rolling on the Brookstone's TV screen, Lloyd's changed into his pajamas and rejoined them, making a beeline for the couch and claiming the open spot on Kai's other shoulder, firmly sandwiching him in place. Lloyd's hair still smells overwhelmingly like grape punch, but Kai will take that over the too-familiar smell of blood any day, so he lets it go.

Mostly.

"You ruined the hair gel, huh."

Lloyd snorts. "That was the punch's fault."

"Excuses, excuses," Kai smiles.

Lloyd shakes his head, yawning as he burrows further into Kai's shoulder, making himself comfortable.

"I really did have a good time," he tells him under the sounds of the movie, his voice quiet. "Thanks for helping me out."

"Anytime, green machine," Kai yawns.

Lloyd is quiet for another minute. Then—

"We _really_ need to learn how to dance, though."

"One thing at a time, bud. One thing at a time."


	24. Chapter 24

**Late, late update here - I'm trying to balance three multi-chapters with schoolwork and it is going...not as well as I'd hoped but I'm getting there! (It is _so difficult_ to convince myself to write about the history of memoir when I could write about lego ninjago children instead, I'd much rather be doing that but unfortunately I can't submit this for grading T-T)**

 **Anyways, we're getting to the end here! Just in time for the next Christmas season to be about two months away, too XD Not a whole lot happening this chapter, just the average dose of gross sibling fluff and family shenanigans. It's also a bit of a split POV - Kai and Cole are sharing this time.**

 **Thank you so much as always to everyone who takes the time to review! You guys are fantastic, and I owe you all so much of my happiness and motivation when it comes to writing :D**

* * *

Despite the fact that the outside weather is resting at a nice degree of _freezing_ , which is just barely colder than the temperature Cole's dad keeps his house at night, Kai wakes up sweating through his one — _one_ , compared to Lloyd's _four_ — blanket.

This probably has less to do with the temperature than it does the nightmare that yanked him from sleep again.

Kai runs a shaky hand across his forehead, his heart still racing with terrified adrenaline. _Not real_ , he tells himself, grinding his palms against his eyes and watching stars explode beneath his eyelids. _Not real_. They're all fine — he can see Lloyd shifting in his sleep in the bed across from him, and he can hear Jay snoring down the hall, and he knows Nya's fine because there's a message on his phone from Pixal asking him to " _please make sure Nya sleeps in late_ " because she's falling asleep working on the _Bounty_ again, along with the accompanying picture of Nya's dark eye circles.

"They're _fine_ ," he whispers to himself, because that's still not helping the anxiety in his chest go _away_ already. Despite himself, Kai sniffs, biting back embarrassing tears of frustration. Is it too much to ask for _one_ good night? For one single night he doesn't have to watch his family _die_ again?

The frustration peaks, and the blanket under Kai's hands starts sizzling. _Oh for—_

He yanks his hands away, tossing the blanket back and hopping out of bed, stomping his feet as quietly as he can. Looks like he's not getting anymore sleep tonight, he thinks dully, trudging through the dark hallway of the Brookstones' house that he's grown accustomed to. He's forced to pause in the living room, staring at the fat, slightly-squashed tree that's in his way.

 _Oh_. Right. Kai almost snorts, squeezing past the tree and grimacing as pine needles attach themselves in his hair. There's a brief moment of tussling before he finally pulls himself free, scowling as he brushes little green needles from his head. These were enough of a pain to get out of his hair earlier, when they'd shoved the tree through the door. _Poor Mr. Brookstone_ , Kai thinks, remembering the expression on his face as they'd stuffed the tree into his already-crowded living room. Nya has a point about getting the _Bounty_ finished soon as possible. Mr. Brookstone has been the nicest person ever, letting them crash this long, but again, they aren't….the easiest crowd.

Not that anything is ever easy with them, Kai thinks darkly, finally flopping down on the couch, staring up at the ceiling. He closes his eyes, trying to will his heart to stop racing like it's still in battle.

Fragments of his dream flash back at him _—_ the Oni, the fire, that awful _scream—_ and Kai snaps his eyes back open, taking a shaky breath.

Never mind, then. Coffee it is.

He drags his feet to the kitchen, fumbling awkwardly in the dark for the cabinet handle. He misses once, twice, then finally swears, igniting flames on the edge of his fingertips, halfway ready to burn the whole kitchen down if it means he can get to the _stupid_ coffee mugs—

"Aw, are you burning down the tree already?"

Kai follows up with a louder curse, spinning around. Lloyd stares at him, unimpressed, his blanket draped around his shoulders and his hair sticking up in a manner that almost rivals Kai's.

"You," Kai exhales, waving his hand and letting the flames go out. "Stop accosting me in the kitchen at night."

"Technically, you accosted me the first time," Lloyd shrugs. His eyebrows furrow, and he watches Kai in concern. "Are...are you okay?"

"No," Kai says, very convincingly.

Lloyd frowns. "You didn't have a nightmare again, did you?"

" _No_ ," Kai repeats with emphasis, gritting his teeth. _Darn perceptive runt._ "I'm just…up. For coffee."

Lloyd spears him with a look, and _oh_ , Kai knows what that one means.

"Kai."

Kai glares at him. "Listen, Lloyd, if _you_ , of all people, are about to lecture me—"

"I'm not —" Lloyd's eyes widen, and he looks down, sighing. "Geez, go for the throat, will you," he mutters, but he loses the challenging look. "I'm not here to lecture you, promise. I just wanted tea."

Kai raises a skeptical eyebrow at him. "Tea."

"Yeah, tea," Lloyd repeats. "It's this drink, you know, my uncle has it a lot—"

"Smartass," Kai mutters, but the corners of Lloyd's mouth are twitching. "Fine," he says, stepping back. "Then _you_ can find the cups, because these cabinets are _junk_."

"They're not that bad," Lloyd murmurs, rolling his eyes. He steps up, briefly going on his tiptoes as he opens the cabinet with ease, snatching two cups from the top shelf.

Kai sort of hates him for a second.

He reaches for the mug, but Lloyd snatches it away. "I've got it," he says, then nods toward the living room. "I can make the coffee. You go sit down before you accidentally light the kitchen on fire."

"I wasn't gonna light it on fire," Kai grumbles. He narrows his eyes at him. "You aren't secretly gonna slip like, sleeping tea in it, are you?"

"Of course not," Lloyd says, his eyes wide and innocent. "I'd never do that."

Kai stares at him. "You're a horrible liar."

"Couch," Lloyd orders, pointing to the living room.

Kai makes a face at him, but Lloyd's got his bossy eyebrows on, so he figures he isn't winning this fight, trudging back to the living room instead. He almost runs into the tree again, and aims a half-hearted kick at it as he slumps back down on the couch. He runs a hand through his hair, ignoring the pine needles that stick to his fingers as he stares at the ceiling, listening to Lloyd quietly rattling around in the kitchen. It's a comforting kind of quiet, and Kai finds his eyelids growing heavier against his will. He needs that coffee, he thinks anxiously.

A minute later, a familiar smell filters through the room, and Kai drags his eyes back open in surprise. _Huh_ , he muses. Maybe Lloyd actually is making him coffee.

Granted, it's probably decaf, but he's making an effort at least.

"Here you go," Lloyd says after another few minutes, his feet padding quietly as he ghosts into the living room. "One fully caffeinated coffee."

Kai takes the offered mug, surveying Lloyd through narrowed eyes. "Fully caffeinated, huh."

"Fully caffeinated," Lloyd echoes as he sits across from him on the couch, taking a sip of his. His nose immediately crinkles, his expression screwing up in distaste. " _Blegh_. How do you drink this black? Did you burn all your tastebuds off or something?"

"No, I just don't have sugar for blood," Kai shoots back, amused. Lloyd makes another face, but he continues to sip slowly at it. "Why are you drinking that, anyways? I thought you wanted tea," Kai mumbles through a yawn.

"I'm staying up with you," Lloyd says, as if it's obvious. "This is fuel."

Kai frowns. "No, you're not." Even if he wasn't already against it, Nya would have his head. They're trying to get Lloyd back on a _decent_ sleep schedule, not infect him with Kai's own terrible one.

"Yes, I am," Lloyd retorts, and jabs his foot into his side. Kai yelps, jerking away.

"No, you aren't," he insists, trying to protect his side in case Lloyd takes another cheap shot. "You need the sleep."

Lloyd stares at him, and Kai feels a little too much like they've swapped familial positions for the night.

 _Stubborn brat._

"Fine," he sighs. "You can stay, I guess."

"Good," Lloyd says. _You hypocrite_ is tacked onto the end, unspoken. Kai guesses he deserves it, but still — it's not like Lloyd _isn't_ a hypocrite. They should get matching shirts or something, announcing what absolute losers they are.

…maybe Kai _is,_ slightly, overtired.

They sit in silence for a minute, sipping at their coffee in the darkened living room. Kai's still a bit jittery, the flashes of horror from his nightmare taking their time to fade, but the room feels brighter in Lloyd's presence, almost warmer — and it's a lot easier to remind himself that Lloyd's fine when he's sitting right next to him, making faces as he desperately tries to swallow coffee without spitting it out.

Kai almost snorts, but the scream from his nightmare echoes in his ears again, and he shivers instead. _Still here_ , Kai tells himself furiously. Lloyd's still here. Kai didn't fail, in the end, even if he—

"Here." Lloyd's suddenly scooting closer to him, draping part of his blanket over Kai's knees, where they're pulled against his chest. "You're gonna freeze."

"I don't freeze," Kai grumbles, but he tucks the offered half of the blanket around him. He immediately realizes this is a trap. Lloyd's blankets are always those really fluffy kind that get you warm in seconds, and Kai's falling prey to it scarily fast. He'd escape, but it is, admittedly, _really_ warm. And it _is_ pretty cold in here, so—

He focuses on the blanket design instead, trying to bite back a yawn. "Why's there a turtle staring at me."

"'Cause Nya stole my cat one," Lloyd grumbles. "That one's way softer too, and she _knows_ it. Like, the turtle one is nice, but the cat one has _cats_ on it, and if it's a cat versus turtle battle I'd rather snuggle with a cat, because they're warm and turtles are cold, you know, not that I don't like turtles, but—"

Kai tries to listen, he really does. But Lloyd continues to drone on, and his head keeps nodding forward, and as quickly as he yanks it back up, it keeps slipping right back down. He tries to concentrate on what Lloyd's saying — something about heaters, maybe? — but at this point it almost sounds like Lloyd's slipped into another language. Kai's eyes keep sliding closed, the sleepy warmth and Lloyd's quiet voice dragging him down into a comfortable sort of exhaustion, and he can't help it.

He makes it another five minutes before his eyelids drift shut and refuse to open again, sleep firmly taking him as victim, and his last thought is that Lloyd _definitely_ used decaf coffee, that liar.

* * *

Kai wakes up once, before morning. The nightmare resurges with a viciousness, and his eyes snap open in terror, his heart in his throat. He almost jumps from his bed, but then he's reminded that he's not in bed — he's on the couch, Lloyd's blanket tucked around him and Lloyd curled up cross-legged next to him, absently swirling what vaguely smells like tea.

"S'okay," Lloyd says, leaning over and tugging the edge of the blanket that's fallen loose higher over Kai's shoulders. "We're safe. You can go back to sleep."

Kai stares at him hazily for a beat, then slowly relaxes, surrendering back into the pit of exhaustion that's claiming him.

Maybe Lloyd's blanket is magic or something, but he doesn't have another nightmare that night.

* * *

Cole wakes up at nine in the morning to the sound of Kai snoring, which is almost more surprising than anything else that's happened this month.

"Okay, who drugged Kai," he asks as he walks into the kitchen, where the others are gathered around the counter — save for Zane, who's probably still catching up on much-needed rest. Nya could stand to do that too, in Cole's opinion, but she's already on what looks like her third cup of coffee, and Cole knows when to pick his battles.

"Nobody," Lloyd says, just as Nya and Jay chorus "Lloyd". He flushes.

"I just gave him decaf coffee," he mutters into his tea. "And then talked his ear off until he gave in."

"That'll do it, I guess," Cole sighs. Lloyd looks rather pleased with himself.

Cole's not about to hold that against him, though. Lloyd _should_ be pleased with himself, if he's gotten Kai to get a full night's sleep. A tight knot of worry that's been living in Cole's chest loosens, and he leans more heavily against the counter, relaxing. Slow but steady, just like he's been telling himself. His team's gonna be alright.

"So this means we can all go jump on top of him and wake him up now, right?" Jay says.

"Nah, leave him," Lloyd says, quickly. "It's getting late, he'll probably be up soon anyways." He looks giddy about that for some reason, his leg bouncing excitedly against the chair.

Cole looks at Nya. Nya turns to Lloyd, narrowing her eyes. "What did you do."

Lloyd's eyes widen. "Nothing," he says, far too quickly.

Jay coughs, almost snorting coffee through his nose. Cole watches in amusement as he sputters.

"How do you ever get away with _anything_ ," Jay finally manages.

"Yeah, no offense, Lloyd, but you're a garbage liar," Cole says. "What'd you do?"

Lloyd looks mildly offended, crossing his arms. "Look, you guys said you missed me acting younger," he says. "So this is your fault."

" _What_ did you _do_ ," Nya repeats.

"Nothing! Just spread some…Christmas spirit, that's all."

Jay's eyes suddenly light up, zeroing in on Lloyd. "Does this have anything to do with all those Elf-on-a-Shelf boxes I found in the trash?"

Lloyd's lips tremble, threatening to burst into a grin. "No." Then — "I might — _might_ — have stuck them in bed with him."

Cole stares at him, torn between laughing or developing a migraine at what Lloyd's just began. Jay snorts loudly. "You _know_ Kai with elves, Lloyd. He's gonna kill you."

Lloyd shrugs unapologetically. "I mean, fifty-fifty chance, yeah, but—"

The peaceful quiet of the house is abruptly broken by a piercing shriek from the back bedrooms.

"LLOYD MONT- _GOMERY!_ "

"Oh, for crying out loud," Nya mutters, burying her face in her hands.

Lloyd breaks into snickers. "I put them in the bathroom, too."

A high-pitched scream echoes just after.

Jay's giggling kicks up a notch, and he covers his mouth. Cole is once again torn between amusement and the impending sense of doom he knows is coming with Kai. "I'd start running now, if I were you," he warns.

Lloyd shakes his head. "Not yet," he says. "I wanna see the look on his—"

With a loud stomping of feet, Kai emerges from the back room like a miniature thunderstorm, hair sticking up in every direction and the expression on his face spelling doom. A full night's sleep seems to have done him _too_ much good, his eyes practically crackling with murderous energy. In his right hand, he's got one of those beady-eyed little Christmas elves, its neck held tightly in his fist.

" _You_ ," he growls, his eyes lasering in on Lloyd, brandishing the strangled elf like it's proof of murder. "This was _you_."

"Aha," Lloyd laughs, nervously. "You um, you remember that promise you made about protecting me, right?"

Kai looks like he either remembers no such promise, or is about to smash it to pieces himself.

"You're _toast!_ " he roars, lunging for Lloyd. Lloyd slips from his seat with a screech and tears for the hall, cackling wildly and nearly taking Jay out as he goes. Kai follows hot on his heels, practically pouring smoke from his ears.

Actually, that might have been literal smoke, now that Cole's looking—

"Your dad is going to kill us," Nya moans.

Cole winces. He keeps forgetting that his dad's in the house too, which is terrible, but he's just — he's not used to having both halves of his family living _together_ like this.

That being said, he doesn't really think his dad minds…that much. No one's broken anything yet, they'll have to see then. "Nah, I think he gets a kick out of it," Cole says, instead. "Little life around the house is good for him, y'know?"

A high-pitched scream that sounds like Zane rings from the other end of the house, followed by harried apologies from Lloyd that turn into another shriek, followed by more yelling from Kai.

"This might be _too_ _much_ life," Nya mutters.

"There goes Zane, I guess," Jay sighs, sipping his coffee. "Rest in peace, buddy, you will be missed."

Cole rubs his temples wearily. "Don't pretend like you've got anymore dignity than either of them."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Pot-Kettle-Black," Jay snarks.

Cole bristles, then frowns, pausing. "You'd call me the pot," he says. "You're the kettle."

Jay's eyebrows scrunch up at that, the notch in his left one furrowing. "Nuh-uh, it's one saying — pot, kettle, black."

"Yeah, but the _pot_ is calling the _kettle_ black."

"That's what I said."

"No it isn't!"

"I though the saying was about a hammer and anvil," Nya frowns. Cole and Jay both pause their arguing to stare at her.

"What."

"Nya, _no_ , you're supposed to be the smart one—"

"Hey, I grew up in a blacksmith shop! Sorry my cryptic metaphors aren't on point."

"It's not even _cryptic_ —"

"Excuse me, Cole?"

All three snap up at Lou's voice, and Cole almost falls from his stool as he spins around. "Dad!" he exclaims. He immediately winces. Maybe Nya had a point about the noise — his dad looks exhausted.

His father runs a hand over his face, giving him a weary smile. "Good morning," he says, nodding to Jay and Nya. He makes a slightly pained face. "Do you think you could convince the others to stop their, ah, their chase?"

"Yeah, of course, sorry," Cole hastily assures him, as Nya buries her face in her hands. He frowns. "I'm surprised Zane hasn't stopped them yet."

"I think he wanted in on chasing them down," his dad says. "They woke him up pretty…loudly."

Cole and Jay cringe in unison. Nya looks as if she's mentally composing epitaphs for her brothers.

"Yeah, I'll get 'em," Cole sighs, sliding from his seat. "Sorry, dad."

Lou shakes his head. "It's alright," he says. His expression goes strained as something _thuds_ against the walls in the back of the house. "I'm afraid my house just isn't that big."

Cole ducks his head, trading glances with Jay. Jay's parents' house is even smaller, so that's out, and he's still not entirely sure where he stands with his new dad. Kai and Nya's parents have offered, though their house is further out, but if it means cutting his dad a break, Cole night take him up on it. Pixal and Echo are staying with Mr. Borg, but Cole doesn't want to inconvenience _him,_ too...huh. The monastery's still under construction, but they could probably crash there, he guesses, if worst comes to—

Lloyd and Kai careen back into the room with all the quiet of a freight train, interrupting his thoughts. Cole watches in despair as Kai finally catches hold of Lloyd with a flying tackle, sending them both crashing into the couch before somersaulting over the edge in a tangle of limbs.

"No, Kai, wait—" Lloyd half-wheezes with laughter as Kai digs his knuckles into his head mercilessly. "No, not the hair!"

"Oh _yes_ the hair, you sneaking little gremlin—"

Cole pauses, watching the chaos unfold. He knows he has a duty and all, but he kind of wants to watch where their fight is going, because they're both getting into it and Lloyd and Kai fights are always fun. Zane makes the decision for him, storming up to them before he can speak, snagging them both by the collar, and _yanking_ them apart. Kai and Lloyd look so startled they forget to argue, and it might be the most impressive thing Cole's seen this week.

"That," Zane hisses, his eyes glinting as his bedhead — _bedhead_ , Zane has _bedhead_ , oh they're _all_ gonna die — sticks up wildly. "Is enough."

All color drains from Lloyd and Kai's faces. Jay gives a low whistle. Nya looks like she's having an internal war between letting Kai and Lloyd suffer the consequences of their actions, or intervening before Zane murders them both.

"Please don't destroy my furniture," his dad sighs.

Cole buries his head in his hands as Nya gets up to run damage control, and Jay pats him on the back.

"I can call my dad this afternoon," Jay offers. "I mean, Dad No. Two — Cliff, you know, he uh…he said I'm welcome whenever."

Jay's cheeks color at this, and despite himself, Cole can't help but smile at him. "Getting along well, then."

"Duh," Jay says, with a mock expression of offense. "Who _wouldn't_ get along with me."

Cole rolls his eyes. "That's not what I meant and you know it."

Nya and Zane's voices spike louder, and they both cringe. Cole straightens, cracking his knuckles. Time to break the family up before they murder each other, he thinks dully. Just a typical day in—

A sharp knock sounds at the door. Everyone freezes in place, Nya with her hand still planted on Zane's shoulder, Lloyd and Kai frozen mid-apology. His dad blinks.

"I wasn't expecting any visitors," he mutters, as he pulls the door open. They all shudder at the cold blast of air that whisks in, followed quickly by a snow-covered, bright-eyed Pixal.

"Nya!" She quickly crosses the room to her, and Zane looks almost offended. Pixal seems too excited to notice. "Nya, you were right — my father just finished the last of the ma—"

Nya claps her hand over Pixal's mouth with a yelp, her expression panicked. Her eyes light up though, and everyone stares as she grabs Pixal's shoulders instead.

"It's done?" Nya hisses, in an almost-manic whisper.

Pixal blinks rapidly, then nods. "Yes," she says, looking proud. "There are a few touches we need to add, but it is…ah, people-ready."

Nya's face splits into a relieved, full-blown smile. "Perfect," she says. She turns to them, looking so smugly satisfied and excited, it's almost terrifying. "Don't worry about calling someone else, Cole. I've got us a place."

Kai's face lights up. The rest of them stare at each other in confusion.

"Huh?"

"Hope you like early Christmas presents," Nya grins.

* * *

Cole's known Nya is an amazing kind of person. He's known it since day one, when Kai came running from the fire temple with his dirt-stained, messy-haired little sister in tow, weeks into capture and still back-mouthing Garmadon without the slightest indication of fear. He's constantly reminded of it the further they get — Nya is incredible. She's a force of nature, a hurricane in and of itself, and he's beyond proud to call himself her best friend, much more her brother.

But _this_ is — this is taking it another level.

"That's the _Bounty_ ," he says blankly, for what's probably the sixth time in the last ten minutes, still staring at the gleaming ship.

"Yup," Nya says proudly, hands on her hips. Her father stands next to her, beaming just as brightly as his daughter. "Told you so," she tells him.

Mr. Smith flicks his eyes briefly skyward, smiling. "Yes, I'm aware you did."

Kai smirks at Ronin, and Cole has a sneaking suspicion that _he_ , at least, wasn't left out of the surprise.

Cole can't even bring himself to be annoyed. He's still five layers into shock, and unlikely to get over it soon. That's their _home_. Their _destroyed_ home.

 _Well, it's not destroyed anymore,_ he thinks faintly.

From the inside of the ship, he can hear Lloyd and Jay's excited voices as they rush from room to room, having taken off almost immediately after they got over their initial shock. Jay had given Nya a very pointed, "That's _cheating_ ," before kissing her soundly and running off to explore. Zane stands on the main deck, his eyes wide in wonder as Pixal watches him in delight. Echo was with them, but Cole's pretty sure he saw Lloyd and Jay drag him below deck to see the ship with them. _Good_. At least they haven't lost all manners, like Cole has, still standing here with his mouth open like a dead fish.

"It's not ready for long-distance or anything yet," Nya admits. "But it's ready for us. Got the rooms done and everything."

Cole shakes his head, still reeling in disbelief. "And you did this — all this month? Just you and Pixal and your dads?"

"Well, we had a lot of help." Nya nods her head to where Kai has devolved into arguing with Ronin over whether the main sail is supposed to be three inches higher or not. "But it was mostly us."

Cole whistles, low. "Nya, that's incredible."

Her cheeks color, and she shrugs. "Well, you know, gotta go all out for Christmas." She flashes him a smile. "Merry Christmas, Cole."

Cole just laughs weakly. Looks like he'll be inviting his dad over for Christmas, instead of the other way around.

 _Home_ , he thinks, with a happy kind of bubble in his chest. He'll be inviting him to their home.

"Well," Cole says, shaking his head with a smile. "Let's get decorating, then. We don't have all night."


	25. Chapter 25

**So I wanted, so badly, for this to be 25 chapters. I actually planned the whole thing out down to each individual chapter, which is unheard of for me. And I went into this chapter planning on it to be the last one, but then it...kind of...ended up going over 10K, and at that point it felt like it should be two separate chapters, so I have finally stopped fighting it and given up, there's going to be one more chapter after this (which will be posted a WHOLE lot sooner than this one was, because I already have it written out) :'D**

 **A big thank you as always to all of you wonderful people who keep up with this! I hope you're all having a great holiday so far, and a good Christmas break if you get that! (I'm enjoying mine a bit too much in terms of getting lazy, but that's what it's for, I guess XD)**

* * *

Wu loves his students. He does, truly, and he loves it even more when they're happy, as opposed to moping off to their respective hiding places to internalize things again, which has become a disturbingly popular habit (though he, of all people, supposes he has very little room to talk). And he appreciates the return of the _Bounty_ more than he can express, of course. The ship has become a home to him more than anywhere else in Ninjago can claim, and no one will hear him breath a word otherwise.

 _However_. In his time alone at the monastery with only Misako and Garmadon for company, he may have forgotten just how _loud_ his students can get, particularly when they're enthusiastic.

And, as they're starting in on their fourth rendition of an upbeat holiday song, they are _highly_ enthusiastic at the moment.

"No more Mariah Carey, Jay, I swear, if I have to hear that _one more time_ —"

"Just give me the speaker next, I wanna play _Last Christmas_ for Lloyd — 'cause you know, it's therapeutic and stuff, after—"

"Y'know what? How about we play _Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer,_ except we swap out Kai for the grandma."

Anther scuffle breaks out over the music, and Wu resists the urge to stuff his hands over his ears.

Mind him, this is not to say that he isn't overwhelmingly grateful to hear his students' voices ringing through the ship, loud and happy as they are. It's a stark reminder to what the alternative could have been, and Wu will gladly take Jay's off-key, high-pitched singing over any missing voices.

But if the others could simply find it in themselves to join in at a _slightly_ lower volume.

"Tis the season to _stealZane'scookies,_ fa la-la-la— _agh!_ "

Wu watches with a mix of despairing amusement as Cole tears down the hall, stuffing the remnants of a cookie in his mouth even as Zane trails hot in pursuit.

"I _trusted_ you!" Zane cries, sounding wounded as he brandishes the mixing spoon like a sword. "Cole, you traitor, how could you—"

"They're your Christmas cookies, what did you expect?" Nya calls as they streak past, from where she's precariously balanced on a ladder against their Christmas tree, attempting to squash the top branches down enough that they don't stab through the roof. "Everyone knows they're the best in Ninja— _woah_ , Lloyd, hold it steady, hold it steady!"

"I _am_ ," Lloyd grunts from where he's braced against the ladder, practically hugging the base as it wobbles. "You're moving around too much!"

"S'not my fault the tree's so tall," Nya bites back, gritting her teeth. Wu winces as she snaps one of the top branches in half with a splintering _crack_. At least he won't have to worry about them losing their strength over the break too much, he thinks, half-heartedly. If Nya approaches her enemies as she does this tree, Wu will have other things to worry about than her safety.

Nya shoves the tree again, jerking to the side, and Lloyd barely avoids being whacked in the face as the ladder jerks with her.

" _Nya—_ "

"Hold on, hold on, I've almost got it — there!"

Nya grins proudly, shoving back from the tree to survey her handiwork. Unfortunately, it appears that Wu _will_ need to worry about their balance, because the movement knocks the ladder off its already-precarious tilt. Wu opens his mouth to warn his nephew, then promptly shuts it as the ladder goes toppling, taking both Lloyd and Nya down with it in a chorus of screaming.

Again, there was something to be said for that quiet monastery, Wu despairs, as he darts over to make sure neither of them have fractured anything. If Lloyd's gone and damaged his still-healing side with this, Wu will never let him hear the end of it.

And his brother won't let _him_ hear the end of it, so Lloyd best not have injured himself again, at all.

Kai seems to be on the same wavelength as he approaches from the other side, having dramatically dropped the entire box of ornaments he'd been holding to rush to his siblings' aid.

"What did I say," he's scolding, as he hauls both Lloyd and Nya up from where they're sprawled on the floor. "What did I say about the ladder, I told you ten times it was the bad one, but did you listen? No, FSM forbid—"

"Oh, put a sock in it, Kai," Nya mutters, rubbing her head. Lloyd is snickering unapologetically, and Wu feels a part of him relax in relief as he rises easily, his hand never once straying to his side. He shakes his head, biting back a sigh. His nephew has always been one to keep Wu on his toes, but Lloyd has been pushing the limits of his sanity lately — as well as the limits of the rest of his team.

"I'm fine, I'm fine, promise," Lloyd assures Kai as he frets over him, rolling his eyes. "I wasn't even on the ladder."

"Yeah, you were supposed to be _holding_ it," Nya glares at him. Lloyd shoots her a gesture back that Wu simply decides he did not see.

"Maybe he sabotaged you," Jay suggests as he parades into the room, almost entirely swamped by cords of Christmas lights, tiny bulbs rattling on the floor where they drag behind him. "Gettin' into a little Darkley's Christmas spirit for the holidays, maybe?"

"Like Darkley's even knew what a holiday was," Lloyd mutters, darkly. He realizes his mistake a second too late, eyes going wide as both Kai and Nya descend on him with twin expressions of furious concern. "Guys, no, it's not — it was a while ago, not a big deal, we can just let it go—"

"I'll let it go when we finally hunt down your old teachers, and teach _them_ a lesson or two."

"Seriously, guys, we've been though this like six times—"

"Kai and Nya, if you would listen to Lloyd, please," he sighs. Kai and Nya look mildly chastised, though the murderous glint has yet to leave their eyes. Wu can sympathize, certainly, but while he is…not necessarily _against_ hunting down Lloyd's old school teachers, voicing this would go against much of what he strives to teach. He leaves the three of them to pick up the mess and turns his attention back to Jay, before he creates a fire hazard their first night back on the ship.

Pixal appears to be thinking similarly, eyeing Jay with trepidation. "Those are entirely too many lights," she says disdainfully, ignoring the others as she watches Jay nearly trip over his lengths of Christmas lights.

"No such thing!" he tells her cheerfully, as he continues to bustle past unruffled. "Hey, by the way, have you seen Zane? I wanted to ask him if he knows where the extra lights are."

"The _extra_ lights? There are _more?_ "

"I believe he has roped Cole into frosting his cookies, as…penance," Wu answers instead, darting forward to knock a strand of lights from Jay's path before he trips over them.

"Oops, thanks Sensei," Jay says with a laugh, completing ignoring Pixal's look of vague horror. "Penance, haha. Yeah, I was wondering when Zane was gonna catch on to who was stealing all the cookie dough."

"Oh, that was not Cole," Pixal says, her eyes glinting as she carefully flicks something from her fingernail.

Jay gapes at her in disbelief. " _You've_ been stealing Zane's cookies too?"

"With help," Lloyd adds, sliding up next to her, a full-sized snowman cookie in hand. He stares at them, considering, then breaks it in half, offering Wu the now-decapitated snowman head. "Want this one, Uncle Wu?"

"Ah, I think I'll pass," he says, remembering the look on his oldest student's face from earlier. "Thank you, though."

Lloyd just shrugs, then stuffs the head in his mouth, chewing happily. "More fo' me, d'en."

"Hey, share with the team." Kai snatches up the bottom half of the snowman cookie before Lloyd can dart away. "Ooh, d'ese are d'e good kind," he adds, through his own mouthful of cookie.

Jay just shakes his head, disapproving from behind his mountain of lights. "Zane's gonna kill all of you, I hope you realize that. And I'm going to sit back and watch."

"Technically, _we_ didn't steal them," Pixal sniffs, as if the idea of Zane blaming her is ridiculous. Which, Wu will admit, is a fair assumption.

"Yeah, Echo's been our inside plug," Lloyd adds. "He's been slipping us 'em from the kitchen, 'cause Zane thinks he's too innocent to suspect him."

"You're all horrible, corrupting him like that," Nya scolds, but Wu does not fail to notice her wiping cookie crumbs from the corner of her mouth. "Besides, we can't keep wasting time on cookies. We gotta start decorating. We haven't even gotten the lights up, and people are gonna be arriving any—"

"Hey kids, did you mean to leave all these boxes in the doorway?"

"Speak of the devil," Nya mutters.

Kai pales. "The ornaments!" he yelps. "Ronin, don't step on them!"

Wu does not quite succeed at holding back a weary sigh this time.

The sky outside is purpling into darkness as Ronin arrives with Dareth, Ray and Maya in tow, and Garmadon and Misako not far behind, so it _would_ have been pleasant to have the lights up by now. Wu's brother gives him a wry look as he gingerly steps over the boxes strewn across the doorway, and Wu just shakes his head.

"Were you honestly expecting anything else?"

Garmadon's eyes sweep across the _Bounty_ living room, watching where the ninja are split between arguing over the tree lights and arguing over the cookies. "Seems about right," he snorts.

"Oh, go help your son," Misako shoos him toward the tree. She smiles at Wu, holding out the boxes she's stacked in her arms. "We brought dumplings and coffee. Lots of coffee."

"As always, I am in your debt," Wu breathes in relief, taking the boxes from her.

Something shatters from behind him, and he winces as loud voices erupt across the room. Misako's mouth quirks. "I'll have a cup of that too, if you don't mind."

"Of course," Wu sighs, weaving his way through the living room, ducking one of Nya's flailing arms as she accosts Ronin.

"I said bring _caramel_ popcorn, not that cheap kettle stuff! Have you ever even made popcorn strands before?"

"Oh, are _you_ paying for it now?"

Fortunately for the sake of decorating, Skylor shows up about five minutes later, having stubbornly insisted she'd walk there herself, despite Kai's offer to pick her up. She looks a good deal happier than Wu has seen her in a while, though, shiny green ribbons glinting where they're braided all throughout her red hair. Kai stares at her for a good minute before he's clocked in the side by both Nya and Lloyd's elbows, leaving him wheezing as he sputters to regain his composure.

"How can I help?" Skylor asks, after staring at the mass of tangled lights and boxes for a beat.

"You can help us get this mess untangled, for starters," Cole scowls, light cords wrapped around his fingers where he struggles to pull them apart. "Since _someone_ decided to play twister with them."

"Oh, would you chill out," Jay says, trying to place a hand on his hip, and frowning as he's unable to find it in the tangle of light cords wrapped around him. "C'mon, have a little Christmas spirit, Cole. Or your stocking's gonna end up stuffed with—"

"Don't you dare," Cole threatens.

"What, with coal?" Pixal finishes, with an easy smirk. Cole gives her a wounded look of betrayal.

"Oh!" Echo exclaims, his eyes lighting up from where he stands, Kai and Zane grouped around him as they try to figure out where the Christmas lights wrapped around him begin and end. "I understand. Your name is Cole, like the coal bad people get for Christmas. That is why the joke is funny."

"Right on, bud," Jay beams. Cole looks rather as if he'd like to use the lights to strangle him, but Wu is sure it won't devolve into a physical fight.

…not yet, at least. He has faith in his students, but he's no fool.

He turns his attention back to his family, where Garmadon is tearing old duct tape from the cardboard boxes before handing them to Lloyd, who's carefully unpacking them with Nya.

"Oh, hey, I remember these!" Lloyd says, eyes lighting up as he pulls an ornament from one of the boxes. He turns the tiny, transparent sphere around, glitter dust sparkling inside it. "We made these my first Christmas with you guys, I didn't know we kept them."

"I thought they got blown up," Nya says, leaning over him and snatching one of the handmade ornaments. She runs her finger over her own scribbled signature on the bottom of one, a look of nostalgia on her face.

"We _do_ own a storage unit, you know," Zane sighs. "Some of us just had the foresight to actually put things in there."

"I'm surprised that hasn't been blown up too, honestly," Cole mutters.

"Hey," Kai calls, having somehow tangled himself in lights right next to Echo, where Skylor is now struggling to tug him free. "Do we still have those pictures from Lloyd's first Christmas here? Y'know, the one where we tried to introduce him to the mall Santa, and he—"

"No, we do _not_ ," Lloyd hisses, glaring at Kai as he carefully lays the ornaments in a neat little lines. "But thank you for bringing up that particularly traumatizing memory."

Kai puts his hands up, defensively. "How were _we_ supposed to know what stories they'd told you at Darkley's? S'not our fault you thought Santa was an axe murderer."

"I didn't think he was an axe murderer," Lloyd mutters. "Just a creep."

"I'm with the kid," Ronin chimes in, eating the popcorn that is most definitely supposed to be used for decoration. "The whole Santa charade's a big scam, if you ask me."

" _You're_ calling someone a scam?" Nya smirks.

Ronin shrugs. "Takes one to know one."

"I like Christmas with you guys," Skylor says, a grin pulling at the corner of her mouth. "This is way more entertaining than cheesy holiday movies."

"Oh, just wait until we start caroling," Jay assures her. "It's anarchy."

"'Cause you're all tuneless heathens," Cole huffs. "Lloyd, you're replacing Jay in our Christmas choir, by the way."

Lloyd's eyes widen, and he shakes his head. "I am _not_ singing," he tells Cole stubbornly, as he starts on a snarled strand of lights, untangling the end of them. "No way."

"You have to," Cole insists. "You're the only one that can hit the high notes."

"My voice _changed!_ It's lower now!"

"Yeah, but it's not that low. And like, comparatively, you can still hit the highest pitches, so…"

" _You_ hit the highest pitches, use your screaming voice," Lloyd grumbles under his breath. "I've heard you hit high notes." He glares at the lights in his hands, which have become only more tangled. With a tug, he yanks savagely at the cords, expression contorting. "Oh come _on_ , who," — _yank—_ "-tangled," — _yank—_ "-these in the first place, I'm gonna strangle them."

Cole doesn't respond, too busy staring at him, and one by one everyone else's attention is caught. Nya gives a quiet snicker, and Lloyd finally realizes the eyes that are on him, pausing.

"What?"

Nya shakes her head, gesturing to the strings of lights swamped around him. Lloyd looks down, and his eyes widen. The tiny light bulbs have turned from a warm yellow to an eerie shade of green, blinking sporadically as if to some unseen pulse, slowly spreading to the rest of the lights near him.

"Oh." Lloyd blinks. "Oops…?"

"Woah, that's _cool_ ," Jay says, looking delighted. "Can you do that with the whole tree?"

"Um…maybe?" Lloyd says, tentatively holding the light strand up, watching the lights sputter and blink in his hold.

"Can you sync them to like, an actual music beat?" Cole says, eyes lighting up in curiosity.

"Make 'em change other colors," Kai demands.

"I'm not sure if that's good idea," Zane interjects hastily. "These aren't exactly built for—"

"Hold on, hold on," Lloyd says, waving them off. He squints at the lights, eyebrows furrowing in concentration. "I think I can, if I just…"

Wu, foreseeing disaster, steps forward quickly to intervene. "Lloyd, I do not think—"

Too late. Lloyd's fingers spark, and the Christmas lights blink, sputter once, and go dark — before they all burst back to life in a sudden, blinding display that leaves everyone shielding their eyes.

This is fortunate, because a second later, the tiny bulbs burst, smattering them all in a clinking rain of busted glass.

Zane gives a long, weary sigh, and buries his face in his hands. Wu is tempted to do the same, but he's even more tempted to smack his brother, who has dissolved into cackling laughter along with the rest of them.

Well, Wu _can_ admit that the look on Lloyd's face warrants laughter, at least.

"Oh _no_ ," Lloyd moans, holding the massacred Christmas lights like a fallen comrade, looking crestfallen. "I killed all our lights."

Jay is laughing to hard to respond properly. "They died a noble death at your hands, you light murderer."

"Who have you become," Kai shakes his head, swiping tiny glass shards from his sweater. Skylor leans over to dust bits of glass from his hair, simply shaking her head and smirking. It appears she's accustomed to their antics, at least.

"Zane tried to warn you," Pixal huffs.

"I'll fetch the broom," Wu sighs. It looks as if they'll be buying more Christmas lights after all.

* * *

Despite the few hiccups in decorating — which are due mostly to Lloyd and Kai holding up a very put-out cashier who just wanted to close the store already while they picked up another six boxes of Christmas lights — the _Bounty_ ends up looking rather nice, which is more of a testament to Misako and Maya's handiwork than it is anyone else's.

And poor Zane's, of course. Wu cannot overlook his student's contribution, even if it did consist mostly of him convincing Cole to wrangle the rest of them in line.

But they clean up nicely, the food prepared and the lights blinking cheerily on their own volition, so Wu will take what he can get. It's not a moment too soon, either, because a mere minute after they get the last of the glass swept up, the rest of their guests arrive.

"How many people did we _invite?_ " Cole gapes, watching as Lloyd's old schoolmate — Brad, he believes — drags in a ginger-haired kid with glasses, followed by another girl with equally orange hair. They're about the fifth wave of guests they've had, the first four consisting of Cole's father, Jay's parents, and various huddlings of elemental masters who's names Wu has forgotten.

"We brought offerings," the orange-haired girl placates him, holding out a large tupperware container with what looks like frosted brownies inside. "I'm Mina, by the way — Gene's cousin. I didn't go to Darkley's, but I heard it was a riot."

Lloyd and Brad cough in unison, and Gene fiddles with the end of his glasses.

"That's one way to put it," Brad mutters.

Wu wisely decides he'll leave them to reminisce, narrowing his eyes at the doorway instead. The young girl who dragged his nephew to a dance the other evening is huddled over something with Kai on the doorstep, glancing furtively around before handing it off to him. Kai vanishes before Wu can start toward him, and the girl hurries back inside, nervously tucking her hair back into its unruly bun before making for the others.

 _Hm_. Wu doesn't like the look of that. As Lloyd's friend, Rachel is far from a deadly enemy, but there are other ways to pose a threat. _One_ of which is undermining his influence by aiding—

"Hey Sensei, you did say we could use that tea you had stashed in the back, right? That, uh, wasn't the off-limits kind, was it?"

—on second thought, Wu has bigger problems to deal with at the moment.

"Don't worry. I made sure to hide your more…powerful teas in the back," Garmadon assures him, as he sips from what he knows _full well_ is Wu's favorite tea collection.

"You're thoughtful as always, brother," Wu grumbles, snatching the tea box from Misako before he's bled dry. She merely grins at him, slipping the tea cup from her husband.

"It's the season of _giving_ , Wu," she pats him on the back. "Live a little."

"That's rich," Garmadon mutters, staring sadly at his now-empty hands.

Wu, in all his infinite wisdom, decides, quite wisely, to give up. There is a time to pick a battle with Misako, and there is a time to let her march off to finish decorating with his favorite tea in hand.

It is Christmas, after all, and he's fairly sure he saw Lloyd and Zane making off with his tea earlier, so at this point he should likely just be thankful no one's gotten into the Musicali-Tea again (he's been watching Cole).

Tea or not, the rest of the evening goes smoothly, which is a term rarely applied to them, but Wu finds it fits here. There are quite a few more people than he's used to crammed into the _Bounty's_ living room, but the loud conversations and laughter leave it warmer than Wu's felt in a while. The beaming smiles he's able to spot cropping up on his students' faces don't hurt either, he'll admit.

There's a good bit of tussling over the food, particularly Zane's cookies — which Echo seems to have claimed the most of — but for the most part, the atmosphere remains peaceful. As peaceful as it can get with their collection of people, of course, and with Lloyd and Brad's… _revised_ caroling, which they claim came from their only actual Darkley's holiday traditions, so no one's stepped up to put a stop to them yet.

" _Deck the halls with gasoline, fa-la-la-la-la, la-la, la-la. Light a match and watch it gleam—_ "

On second thought, perhaps Wu really ought to put a stop to it.

"No, go on, this is getting good," Kai says, grinning.

Lloyd seems to have gotten over his initial ire at being made to sing, and continues to match Brad's voice with enthusiasm. "— _watch the schoolhouse burn to ashes, fa-la-la-la—_ "

"These songs are much more exciting than you told me," Echo tells Zane, beaming. Zane merely buries his face in his hands again, muffling laughter. Pixal pats him on the back, before joining in the raucous singing herself.

Garmadon throws him a pained sort of smile from across the room, occasionally wincing at the louder voices, and Wu shakes his head. But he can't help the growing smile on his lips as he watches Cole organize the room into proper singing groups, his father looking on proudly. It's chaotic, of course, no question about it. But despite his brother's claims, Wu does, deep down, have an appreciation for chaos, and since it's only been heightened as of late, he's able to enjoy it fully.

This is, perhaps, less due to his fondness of chaos and more to his fondness for the family they've built, but this does nothing to lessen his ability to enjoy it. Because he's _proud_ of it— he's proud of what they've built, him and Garmadon, and no amount of chaos will ruin that.

Family has always been a nebulous concept for Wu, defined by cryptic riddles and heartbreak and rare moments of joy he's clung to over the many years, so many of which he's spent alone. After his father's passing, his mother a mere memory captured in Garmadon's stories of her, family had been him and Garmadon, alone against the world. And Wu had been content with that, even if he'd known his days with his brother were numbered. He'd taught himself to be happy with one, a single person to attach himself to in the world his father had left them in. The Green Ninja had merely been a title at the time, its protectors a concept. _Students_ was only a term, just like _lightning_ and _ice_ and _earth_ and _fire_ and _water_ were — a faceless collection of warriors he'd have to train some day. Nothing more, nothing less.

Once upon a time, he'd been content with that.

But _now_.

Now Wu has done himself in. Because now _lightning_ is Jay, bright and loud and bursting with personality. Now _ice_ is Zane, calm and perceptive and unceasingly kind. Now _earth_ is Cole, steady and strong and open-hearted, _fire_ is Kai, passionate and loving and protective, _water_ is Nya, clear-eyed and headstrong and smart. The Green Ninja is _family_ , is _nephew_ , is Lloyd, loyal and learned and bursting with love for anyone, even those who do not deserve it.

Once upon a time, Wu could see himself easily parting with his future students. Now, the idea cuts worse than any knife. He knows his father would pity him for such attachment, just as he had Garmadon when he'd sworn himself to Misako.

Oddly enough, Wu can't find it in himself to care much of what his father would think. Not even when the party's died down and the guests have left, leaving the _Bounty_ a cluttered mess of popcorn strands and broken lights and strewn pillows, not even when he's found that his favorite tea has, tragically, entirely disappeared.

 _No_ , Wu thinks, as he strays absently from the kitchen, having finished the last of the leftover dishes. He can only find it in himself to be content.

Now, if only his students could find it in themselves to do the same, he thinks wryly, catching the quiet press of footsteps from the living room. He follows the sound wearily, guided by the dim light cast from the tree. They've left the lights on for the night, gleaming and casting bright rainbows of colors across the dark living room. Wu has to admit that they look rather pretty in the end — even if the star on top of the tree appears rather crushed, though he supposes it's the best he could hope for.

The lights suddenly flicker, much like they had earlier, before lighting up green, then flickering off again. Wu feels more than hears the familiar energy humming from the room, and he sighs, mentally preparing himself to send his nephew off to bed yet again.

He's beaten out, however, by Cole.

"Those are our last set, you know." Cole emerges from the hallway, staring hard at Lloyd where he sits cross-legged by the tree, a mug in his lap. "You better not blow them up, too."

Wu shuts his mouth, pausing in the hallway, knowing full well that Lloyd will listen to Cole better than he would his uncle.

Lloyd shakes his head, tapping his fingers against his lap. The lights flicker back on. "I figured out what I did wrong earlier. Not gonna happen this time."

Cole snorts, trailing closer, his socks sliding against the cold floor. He frowns at the mug in Lloyd's lap, and Wu realizes that it is not, in fact, tea for sleeping like he expected, but rather steaming hot chocolate with entirely too many marshmallows in it.

Perhaps he _should_ have expected that.

Cole sighs. "You know what time it is, right?"

"Mm-hm."

"You know you should be in _bed_ , right?"

" _Shh_ , I'm practicing," Lloyd murmurs, eyebrows furrowed. The lights suddenly blink out, before the top row lights up. Lloyd's fingers twitch, and the lights continue to flicker back on, snaking down the tree like a fountain.

"Wow," Cole whistles, blinking. "You're gonna give Jay a run for his money at this rate."

Lloyd shakes his head, letting the lights flicker back to normal. "Nah," he says, huffing a laugh. "I've got nowhere near the technical know-how he does. I can turn them off and on, but that's about it."

"Don't put yourself down," Cole assures him. "You're a solid emergency generator if we ever need one. Our own little energizer bunny."

Lloyd's eyebrows turn downward. "Do you want me to share the hot chocolate with you, or just pour it on your foot?"

"Hey, watch it — no! Give me the hot chocolate, I'm sitting, geez."

A smile tugs on Wu's lips as he watches the two settle on the floor, and he shakes his head, relenting. He'll let his nephew have this one. Again, it's the holidays, after all, and he's sure the both of them will pass out. Eventually.

He turns, preparing to tune out their murmured conversation and return to his room, when Cole's voice suddenly falters, turning serious. Concerned, Wu halts. While its not an immediate sign of alarm, with how things have been lately… Wu's promised himself he'll keep a better eye on his students, not just in matters of their physical safety. So he listens quietly, careful not to interrupt where they sit within the small, shared sphere of light cast by the tree.

"Do you—" Cole sounds uncertain, shaking his head. "Never mind."

Lloyd tilts his head at him curiously. "Do I what?"

Cole looks away, blowing his breath out. Then, almost as if regretting the words before they're spoken — "Do you ever wish you'd never taken up leading?"

Wu goes still at the same time Lloyd does. He watches the way his nephew's fingers tighten around his mug, his eyes shadowed.

"Why do you ask?" he finally replies, quietly.

"Because I did," Cole says bluntly, sounding ashamed with himself. "After losing Zane — I didn't want to be leader anymore. I couldn't. I couldn't step up again, not after —" Cole bites his lip, tightly. "Not when I'd lead one of us to _that_."

Wu's heart sinks, and Lloyd's expression creases in sympathy. "Cole—"

"I couldn't keep pretending like I knew what I was doing," Cole continues over him, bitterly. "It was easier, before I understood how high the cost of failing was. After that—" He cuts off, swallowing. "We keep going out there, again and again, playing heroes like we're invincible. Like we'll always win, but we _won't_ , because we've lost before and if we lose again, and it's on me again—"

"It's not on you, Cole," Lloyd says, firmly. "What happened with Zane, what happened with the Jay and I — it wasn't your fault. You can't put that on yourself."

"No, and that's the worst part," Cole spits, his eyes flashing. "Because now _you're_ in that spot, and _you're_ the one putting it on yourself, and _I_ left you there."

Lloyd sucks in a breath at that, before falling quiet. Wu looks down. He'd never meant to hand Lloyd leadership like he did. He'd never meant to place that burden on _either_ of them. But Wu isn't who he used to be, and he's never lied to himself. He'd never be able to keep up with his students. They've always needed a leader, if only to step up when necessary. And after Zane's death, when Cole had crippled under the weight, and his students had fallen away one by one, and darkness seemed all the heavier — Lloyd was the lone spark to step up in the void. He was the one who took command, who stepped into that role as if he was born for it, and Wu had never once questioned it.

It's occurred to Wu before, that Lloyd hadn't had much of a choice, but he's never had to face the fact so bluntly before.

Lloyd looks down, blond curls falling over his eyes. "Harumi said something to me," he finally says, the name unusually steady from his lips. "When I first figured out who she really was. She asked me how we could be so naive, pretending to be heroes when we failed to save so many people."

Cole's eyes soften even as they flash in pain, and he lays a gentle hand on Lloyd's shoulder. Lloyd bites his lip, his expression creasing into something stubborn.

"But that can't be all there is to it," he says, fiercely. "It _has_ to mean something. It has to, right? Because if we aren't out there, fighting back, who is?" His voice wavers, a hint of desperation in his tone. "Maybe we do fail, and maybe there are consequences, but — but if we didn't fight back against the Overlord, if we didn't band together to stop Chen, if we didn't destroy the Preeminent, if we never do _anything_ — then who does?"

Lloyd huddles in on himself, shaking his head. "It has to be better than nothing," he murmurs. "It has to be."

Cole stares at him, his dark eyes unreadable in the glimmering lights of the tree. He finally sighs, the tension ebbing out of his shoulders. "It has to be," he echoes, and his voice doesn't falter this time. "I mean. It's gotta be better than standing around, right?"

"Right," Lloyd nods, his tight expression easing a bit. He straightens, eyeing Cole. "And you _definitely_ weren't standing around during that battle, so give yourself some credit already, geez."

Cole blinks rapidly, before letting out a startled huff. "Hey, that's my line."

"You needed it this time," Lloyd brandishes his mug at him. "As one of the resident experts, blaming yourself gets you nowhere, trust me."

Cole snorts out a laugh, and Wu finds himself relaxing. He's not exactly _thrilled_ to hear the conversation — they'll certainly need to have another conversation _about_ this conversation later — but for now, the two seem to have it handled.

So he really does mean to head back to his room, to quit eavesdropping and leave them in peace, when Cole mutters something along the lines of "—have to step up now, since Sensei and your dad don't have powers anymore," and he _has_ to turn around at that, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

Lloyd saves him the correction. "Oh!" he breathes out a laugh, shaking his head. "No, they still have their powers."

Cole looks perplexed, frowning. "But — your dad—"

Lloyd shifts, a little guilty. "Ah, yeah, I…probably should've said something," he says.

Apparently, _he_ should have too, Wu thinks, wondering how Cole came to that conclusion. To be fair, he hasn't exactly explained…anything, but he could have sworn he had at least—

Well, apparently not.

"But, in my defense, I didn't know until my dad told me," Lloyd continues. "Which was like, a few days ago, 'cause we've kinda been…you know…for a while."

"Something about _what?_ " Cole ignores the falter, seemingly determined not to let Lloyd wriggle out of this one.

"Their powers," Lloyd replies, as if it's obvious. "They split 'em."

And this is why Wu should have simply done the explaining himself, he thinks wearily, running a hand across his forehead.

"Wha—how?" Cole gapes at him.

"I dunno. Magic." Cole gives Lloyd a _look_ , and he sighs. "Okay, best I can understand, it's like this," he says, sliding his mug across the floor until it's in front of them. He places the bag of marshmallows next to it, shaking them. "So this was Uncle Wu, right? He got the dragon side, so he was all creation." He drops the bag, and gestures to the mug of hot chocolate. "And this was my dad. He got the Oni, so. All destruction."

"Nice props."

"Hush," Lloyd says, glaring at him. "I'm _trying_ to explain this to you." He huffs, then grabs the marshmallow bag again. "But the problem with that is, it leaves them pretty polarized, you know? They balanced each other out, but there isn't any balance in themselves, like there is in me."

Wu begins rubbing his temples. He _really_ ought to be explaining this himself, he thinks in vain. But Lloyd is doing the job decently enough, and he can't very well expose himself now, having listened into the better part of their conversation.

"So, it's like—" Lloyd dumps a handful of marshmallows in the hot chocolate, then gestures at it. "Tada. Now there's balance."

Cole stares at the mug, then back up at Lloyd. "And Sensei… _wanted_ this? And you dad was actually…on board?"

"It was their choice," Lloyd says, with a tiny shrug, and Wu can't quite decipher any particular emotions in his voice. "I think that was pretty important to them. So now they can both kind of choose from a…"

"Balanced perspective?" Cole offers, realization dawning in his eyes.

Lloyd's mouth quirks. "Yeah."

"Huh."

Cole goes quiet, as does Lloyd. Wu's breathing feels unnaturally loud in the silence, along with the mental catalogue he's running of everything he needs to remember to explain to the team. This is…a big one, probably. But it was he and his brother's decision, and it is something they've needed to figure out themselves.

 _Still need to_ , Wu thinks wryly, keenly reminded how he's yet to use his powers since the Oni attack.

"It's a good idea, you know," Cole finally says thoughtfully, swirling his own hot chocolate, watching the marshmallows shift around. "The balance thing. Tell you what, what if you and I tried that?"

Lloyd eyes him, carefully. "Like…with the leader thing?"

"Yeah," Cole says, nodding. "What if we split the stress, balanced it out. Y'know, like co-leaders."

"Co-leaders," Lloyd echoes, as if testing the word out. "And we could cover for each other, whenever one of us gets hit with, um…with something personal."

"Exactly," Cole grins wryly.

Lloyd's mouth quirks up. "I could go for that."

"Great." Cole smiles this time, holding his mug up. "So, co-leaders?"

Lloyd smiles back, a full, relieved sort of smile, and taps his own mug against his. "Co-leaders," he says. They both fall quiet, sipping at their hot chocolate and watching the tree lights blink, and Wu feels something fond settling in his chest. Next to each other as they are, the contrast between the two is thrown into definition, Cole's dark hair to Lloyd's lighter locks, Cole's larger frame to Lloyd's smaller one.

 _Not quite so small anymore_ , Wu thinks with a pang. They've grown, all of them, so much from when he'd first taken them in. The reminder hits heavy, with a spark of pain. They will only continue to grow, wiser and older, and while Wu couldn't be prouder, eventually—

 _No_. He shakes his head at the thought, banishing it. Tonight is not a time for such things. And it will never be a time for regret.

No, Wu thinks again, finally leaving his two students in peace, the tree lights flickering once again, wavering back and forth. He will never find it in himself to regret letting the word _students_ come to mean _family_.

Regardless of whatever comes in the future.


	26. Chapter 26

**THIS IS SO LATE, VERY LATE, BUT WE'VE REACHED THE END I PROMISE :'D**

 **Merry (very belated) Christmas! I'm terribly sorry this is so late, but I've had a wild holiday - my winter quarter is in France this year, and getting ready for that took a lot more time than I was prepared for. Fortunately the campus is great for getting into a writing mood, and I've finally been able to devote that to this fic, so voila! The final chapter is _finally_ complete. ****It's a little bittersweet, because it means the end of this fic, and I've had a lot of fun with it. But it also marks the longest fic I've ever finished (hurray!), and I wanted to send these kids off happy already, so here we are.**

 **I've said it a lot, but I cannot thank all of you _enough_ for sticking with this story for a full year! You're some of the kindest readers I've ever had, and every one of your reviews meant the absolute world to me :D Again, I say it a lot, but you guys make it so much fun for me to write for this fandom, and I hope to keep living up to your kindness. I hope everyone's had a wonderful holiday and an easy time back at school, and I'm gonna cut the rambling now - here's the final chapter!**

 **(It's sap, you guys, it's all sap).**

* * *

For all that his team tries to treat him as a baby — which, you would think, as their leader, they'd move past that already — Lloyd is very much grown-up.

…well, not like, _entirely_ grown up. He's not as old as Kai, or Cole, and he's nowhere near as ancient as his dad, but he's still passed that 'child' stage, where it's okay for everyone to ruffle your hair and coddle you and forbid you from rushing headfirst into danger even though everyone else makes it a regular habit.

(…which _may_ have something to do with his leadership methods, but he's not going to address that right now.)

At any rate, Lloyd isn't a little kid anymore. He is a mature, respectable adult, who knows very well how to take care of himself.

That being _said_ — since the entire team seems to insist on still treating him like a child, Lloyd thinks he's perfectly within his rights to have woken up an hour earlier than the rest of them on Christmas morning for the sole purpose of dragging an entire speaker system into their room. He is also perfectly within his rights to be preparing to dive-bomb his poor, debatably-innocent older brother where he's sleeping peacefully, because _he's_ the one who made the fatal mistake of saying "oh Lloyd, how I dearly miss your young, bratty childish self" the other night. He clearly didn't learn his lesson with the Christmas elves, Lloyd thinks, scowling at Kai.

He shakes his head, queuing up Mariah Carey on his phone, making sure it's synched to the speaker. His only regret to this is that he cannot, unfortunately, jump all his brothers at once, because there's only one of him. He's also slightly miffed that he can't jump Nya either, but she made the equally fatal mistake of spending the night in their joined room, so she'll get an earful of the music, at least, and that's good enough for Lloyd.

Now, if only he'd managed to sneak one into his uncle's room…

 _Oh well_ , Lloyd shrugs, watching the clock numbers on his phone change to a neat _6 a.m_. The team's lucky he's feeling merciful today, because he had considered five in the morning. But, he thinks, grinning as Cole lets out a particularly loud snore. An hour later works just as well.

Carefully placing his phone on top of the speaker, Lloyd checks it one last time. Then, bracing himself, he flicks play, and bursts into a dead sprint toward Kai's bed.

The loud, screeching tones of holiday music thunder through their bedroom with all the force of Mariah Carey's vocals simultaneously joined by the startled screams of his family just as Lloyd lands on Kai, shrieking along with the rest of them—

"Wake up, wake up, it's _Christmas!_ "

Just as planned, the resulting screaming is _just_ loud enough to reach Uncle Wu's bedroom, and wake him up too. It even reaches his parents' room, who have also made a fatal mistake in staying here for the night, so despite the headlock Kai has him in, Lloyd considers _Operation: Kill Everyone With Christmas_ a complete success.

* * *

So Christmas morning for them begins with a chorus of screams and half the household chasing Lloyd down until Wu intervenes, which as about as good a summary of their family as they're likely to get, Nya guesses. Cole refrains from _actually_ strangling Lloyd when he finally gets his hands on him, though, and Kai's still doubled over laughing at Jay as he struggles to untangle himself from light cord he'd tripped over, so while Nya doesn't exactly pity Zane having to explain to Echo that the ship is not, in fact, burning down, she's in a good enough mood to help Pixal put on the coffee for everyone.

"Nya, sweet angel from above, I owe you my entire life," Jay breathes gratefully into the cup she's handed him, looking much more cheerful now that he's been freed from his Christmas light prison.

"You're very welcome," she tells him, settling in on the couch next to him and curling up under the knitted blanket. It's a new one, a gift from Mrs. Walker for for the team that should _not_ have been opened before now, but she made it with that nice fleece fabric this year, so Nya's not complaining about having it a little earlier. _Besides_ , she thinks in satisfaction, tucking closer to Jay and sipping at her own coffee, watching as her family slowly staggers into the living room at varying paces. It's not like she waited to show everyone _her_ present.

"Okay, if we're all here — _no_ , not yet, you're still in time-out," Cole snaps, smacking Lloyd's hand away from the pile of presents. Lloyd huffs, leaning back against the couch where he's seated on the floor, having been banished there for his stunt this morning. Granted, Kai's joined him, offering him the other half of his blanket as he absently chugs his own coffee, so it kind of defeats the purpose of the punishment.

But it is Christmas, Nya guesses, and they should all probably be grateful Lloyd didn't get them up at four, or something. Six is borderline generous, for him.

"As I was saying," Cole clears his throat, glaring at Lloyd. "If we're all here, we can start opening presents. But I don't see Pixal, so—"

"I'm here," Pixal says quickly, sliding in next to Zane on the couch. She's followed by Garmadon and Misako, both of whom look about as dead tired as Sensei Wu does right now, even if desperately trying to appear differently.

"Okay, okay," Cole says, stifling a yawn as he stretches, shaking his head. "If we're all here now, then we can start."

"How are we doing this?" Kai says, looking slightly more alive now that he's finished his coffee, even if his bedhead leaves him resembling a sweater-wearing hedgehog. "One at a time, or everyone dives in at once?"

"One at a time, of course," Zane says, just as Lloyd interjects, "Everyone dives in at once."

There's a stalemate as they stare at each other for a beat, eyebrows narrowed — before the distinct sound of tearing paper breaks it, both turning on Echo where he's in the middle of opening one of the brightly wrapped boxes.

"What?" he says, innocently. "It has my name on it."

Zane rubs a hand across his forehead, and Nya bites back smile. "Everyone dive in at once, I guess," he surrenders wearily.

That's the only permission they need. Zane's admission signals the charge for the tree, all of them grabbing for anything with their names on it. Nya scoops up her own presents, and just barely manages to snatch the end of her one for Lloyd before he gets his hands on it.

"Hey, that's mine," Lloyd reaches for it, half-heartedly.

Nya shakes her head. "I wanna watch you open it," she says.

Lloyd blinks, then narrows his eyes at her. "So it's _that_ kind of present."

Nya simply shrugs at him, grinning, and Lloyd turns his eyes skywards, relenting. The rest of the room splits up, each intent on watching everyone open their own gifts personally. The sound of tearing wrapping paper is soon accompanied by happy exclamations, or, in some cases, loud snickering. Lloyd and Jay find it particularly hysterical that they've gotten each other the exact same thing, signed by the exact same person.

" _You_ were my Ebay completion!" Jay accuses, pointing at Lloyd. "You're the reason I had to pay twice as much for these!" He brandishes the vintage Starfarer comics at Lloyd, who's flipping through his own copy with a grin on his face, shaking his head.

"How was I supposed to know you were _spacefarer225?_ " he defends. "At least my username was obvious!"

"How is _FritzdonnaCat_ any more obvious?!"

"No wonder your other dad laughed when I got him to write in it," Lloyd huffs. He immediately cheers up as he flips to the page Cliff Gordon has signed for him. "Hey, he wrote me a long one just like you!"

"Yeah," Jay says, his voice somewhat thick, eyes shiny as he reads his own inscription from his father. "Real sappy, too, h-huh."

Jay dashes quickly at his eyes, but he really doesn't need to bother, considering Kai's eyes are just as shiny over where he's swapping gifts with Zane.

"How did you _find_ this," he croaks, as Zane frets over him in alarm.

"It's just a cookbook!" Zane says, bewildered at Kai's reaction. "It's really nothing big—"

"A cookbook in _Ignacian_ , that my _mom_ used to use—"

"Kai, it's Christmas, please do not cry—"

Kai definitely cries, right into the sleeve of the new sweater he'd gotten Zane, but Zane at least seems to regain control of the situation, rolling his eyes fondly as he pats Kai's back.

Nya's own attention is caught as Pixal opens her gift, because she's been nervous about this one. Pixal immediately lights up as she pulls the silvery bracelet from the wrapping tissue, her eyes lighting up in recognition.

"This is just like yours!" she exclaims, running a finger over the purple jewel set in the middle, which Nya has directly wired to the Samurai X mech. Nya runs a hand over her own bracelet, mentally reminding herself to thank Ronin again for the familiar weight on her wrist.

"Yeah," Nya says, pointing to the designs on the side. "It's connected to the rest of our radio system too, so you're always part of it. And um, it might have a tracker, that _might_ be wired to Zane, but in my defense, it's been proven necess—"

Pixal cuts off her nervous rambling with a tight hug, before pulling back and beaming. "It's perfect," she grins, with a side-eye to Zane. "Tracker and all."

And for the most part, it goes much the same. Half of the gifts are ridiculously sappy, and others border on the edge of outrageous, because they all know each other too well, so actually _surprising_ people requires creativity. For example, Jay gets Nya the prettiest earrings, that have been equipped to convert into little lasers that can double as a soldering iron, and it's the most thoughtful gift Nya's ever gotten, which she definitely does _not_ show her gratitude for by tearing up like Kai does.

"It's okay, Nya, you haven't had your second cup of coffee yet, crying's in character," Jay tells her, while winding the hand-knitted scarf Cole's gotten for him around his neck.

On the other hand, some gifts _do_ manage to surprise, like the one Lloyd's gotten for Cole.

Cole's mouth drops open as the wrapping tissue falls away, a look of dazed, almost-horror on his face. Before he can even react, Nya's caught a glance of what's inside the box, spotting the unmistakeable, brightly-labeled—

" _Ooh_ , are those the Nutcracker ballet shoes?" Jay asks, sounding delighted. "That's way better than what I got you."

"Ballet? Nutcracker?" Kai is staring at Cole like it's Christmas morning eight times over.

Cole sputters, then turns his head accusingly toward Lloyd. Lloyd gives an impish grin, shrugging. "I _did_ say I was gonna make fun of you later."

Cole makes a face, his expression warring, before finally shaking his head, laughing. "I'm not dancing."

"You say that _now_ ," Lloyd says airily.

While there are gifts for them, Sensei Wu and the Garmadons seem more than content to watch them all from the couch. Nya's willing to take a solid guess that, from the look on their faces, watching them open gifts is present enough for them, even long after they've been crammed on the couch when the other parents arrive.

And honestly, Nya has to admit to herself that even without the gifts she's been given, watching her family scattered around her, beaming and bright and happy in their home, is more than she could ask for herself. There's nothing quite like watching the look on Cole's face as Jay hands him the old music books his other father had saved, penciled in with Cole's mother's elegant handwriting, or the way Kai's face goes all melty and sappy when Lloyd hands him the dagger he's made himself, having finally mastered that particular feat of blacksmithing with help from their dad behind their backs.

But she's definitely conquered with presents this year, Nya thinks with satisfaction, as everyone gathers around Lloyd's photo album, exclaiming as they point to the different pictures.

"Look, that's gotta be your grandpa, Zane!"

"Oh my _gosh_ , is that baby Lloyd, you were so fat—"

"Hey, Cole, look, there's our moms!"

Granted, she's also responsible for ninety percent of the teared-up eyes with that one, but the small, growing smile on Lloyd's face, happy and _real_ as he traces the picture of him and his parents, makes it more than worth it.

Besides, Echo gets to learn about the happy kind of crying while handing out tissues, so it's a win-win.

* * *

The morning flies past in a whirlwind of wrapping paper and ribbons, and by the time most of them have started in on breakfast, Lloyd's wondering if he should've woken them up earlier.

Then again, he doesn't even know if he'd let _himself_ live if he'd tried that, because if he's learned how to appreciate anything over the years, it's sleeping in. But Lloyd's also the kind of person who likes to think he can freeze a moment forever if he makes it last five more minutes, even though he's learned that doesn't work. At all.

 _Oh well_ , he relents, watching the morning sun glimmering off the fallen snow from the nearest window, listening to his family's muffled chatter from the over room. He'll take what he can get.

The others have all disappeared into the kitchen, either to help make food or test out Jay's new espresso maker. Lloyd's been in and out, helping clean up some of the wrapping paper. He's already through with half of Zane's Christmas cookies (and nearing the point of regretting the fact) when his father corners him in the side of the living room, tucked away.

His dad looks tired — likely from Lloyd's wake up call — but the corners of his eyes are crinkled in something soft and happy, and his mouth pulls into a familiar smile as Lloyd sits cross-legged next to him, and he ruffles a fond hand through his hair.

Lloyd almost misses the next bit, because his throat closes up and his eyes get dangerously misty for a moment.

But he can't — he can't _help_ it. He resigned himself, a while ago, to never spending any kind of holiday with his dad again. To never spending any time with his dad at _all_ , because he'd banished him to the Cursed Realm, and then had to face that fact all over again when the Preeminent had taken him for good. It had been the worst kind of pain Lloyd's had to swallow, knowing he'd never see him again, and then when Harumi brought him _back_ — when he'd come back a hollow shell of himself who could only look at Lloyd with hatred in his eyes — it felt a whole lot like dying. Lloyd would know.

It was the bad kind of hurt, the kind he couldn't handle as easily. Like being ground into the dirt, bit by bit, until something in his chest snapped from all of it.

So _now_. Well, he kind of _does_ hurt now, but it's not a bad kind. It's a being-so-happy-his-chest-physically-hurts kind, and he mentally thanks his dad for talking first, because if Lloyd opens his mouth right now, there's a very high chance that he'll just burst into tears instead.

"I—I have something for you," Garmadon starts, looking slightly awkward as he rubs the back of his neck, the fingers of his other hand drumming anxiously on the elegant box in his lap. "But I…" he exhales, looking anxious now. It's odd, because that expression usually belongs on _Lloyd's_ face in this dynamic. "Thinking on it, there's nothing I can give that would — that could ever make up for — that could express—"

"Dad," Lloyd says gently, silently congratulating himself on sounding like the put-together one. The word seems to calm his father, and again, Lloyd is struck by the reversal of their positions.

Garmadon shakes his head, giving a quiet laugh. "I have this, for you." He looks down at the box, then back at Lloyd. "I'm not sure if I should give you it," he admits, slowly. "It's…well, the history isn't the best, but I couldn't think of anything else that would send the message."

Lloyd tilts his head curiously at that, carefully taking the box from his dad as he offers it to him. It's on older one, as long as his lap and slim at the sides, but the hinges are well cared for, so it clicks open easily beneath his fingers. Lloyd pulls the wrapping tissue inside away gingerly, then pauses.

With gentle fingers, he lifts the jacket from the box, the clothing unfolding as he does. He recognizes it almost immediately as a haori — an older style, almost like his gi. The fabric is black save for the green border that runs along the neckline and edges, and the threaded red lettering that runs down the left side.

Lloyd blinks. He's seen this before — or the same lettering, at least. Uncle Wu has one just like it, except his is a mix of black and white and gold, and this one is—

 _Oh_.

"It was mine," his father says, quietly. "When I was an elemental master. Wu and I had matching ones, we did the stitching ourselves."

Lloyd swallows, running a finger carefully over the stitching. It's still shiny and crimson, the color of his eyes.

"The border used to be purple," Garmadon admits. "But I figured that might not be…the best color, anymore." He shakes his head, sounding rueful. "I'm no seamstress, obviously, but your mother helped me strip the old threading and replace it with green."

"I think it looks great," Lloyd says, thickly.

His father's mouth quirks up in a half-smile. "I remembered that jacket you wore when you were younger, the one that looked like me," he says, his tone so fond that something in Lloyd's chest buckles. "I wanted to give you something from the source, this time."

Lloyd slowly lifts the haori, pulling it carefully over one shoulder, then the other. It fits a little too big, hanging loose around his shoulders in a warm kind of comfort. The sleeves fall just over his hands, but the fabric is soft and it smells like incense and monasteries and _home_.

"It's not much," Garmadon says, almost anxiously. "But it's got our family name on it, right here, see? I — I wanted to give you something that was mine, so you can — so you'll know—"

Lloyd barrels into him before he can stutter anymore out, throwing his arms around his middle and clinging tight. Garmadon stiffens in surprise for a beat, then Lloyd feels him almost collapse, his arms coming up to hold tightly around him. Lloyd exhales on a shuddering breath, burying his face in his father's robe, just like he used to when he was a kid, when his dad was the safest place in the whole world.

For the first time in a very long while, Lloyd thinks he might be able to reclaim that.

"I get it," he whispers, his throat tight. "I love it."

The unspoken _I love you_ , Lloyd hopes, is no less obvious. By the way his father simply tightens his embrace, he thinks he gets it.

* * *

And _that_ embarrassing display is supposed to be the most emotional Lloyd gets this morning, end story, because his image has been thoroughly _trashed_ this holiday, between spending half of it making sappy speeches and the other half bursting into tears every five minutes. Cole might've agreed to go halves on leading, but that doesn't mean Lloyd _isn't_ leader anymore. He's gotta build his reputation back up before no one takes him seriously ever again.

But then Kai, _stupid_ Kai — who hasn't given him his gift yet, and that _really_ should've sparked Lloyd's suspicion earlier — takes his chance to corner him in the back hallway, and Lloyd doesn't have enough time to pull himself together for this.

"If this is something heartfelt and tear-jerking…" Lloyd threatens, carefully taking the large box Kai's shoving on him.

Kai scoffs. "Me, go for heartfelt?" He shakes his head. "It's like you don't know me at all. I'm way too cool for that, obviously."

"Obviously." Lloyd rolls his eyes, snickering under his breath. He lifts the box, frowning. "Did you mean to leave all the wrapping loose like thi— woah!"

The wrapping paper suddenly crinkles from where it's draped over the box, something inside it skittering and scratching. Lloyd looks from the box to Kai in alarm.

"This isn't a prank, is it?"

Its Kai's turn to roll his eyes, taking twice as long and twice the drama that Lloyd did. "FSM, Lloyd, just open it."

Lloyd huffs, gingerly pulling the wrapping away. "I'm serious, if you went and—"

He freezes dead, the rest of his sentence whooshing out in a quiet " _oh_ ". Lloyd's mouth hangs open, his eyes going wide as his present _mews_ at him, tilting its head curiously.

It's the _cat_.

It's _his_ cat. The little abandoned one from the shelter, the one Lloyd had resigned himself to mourning the rest of his life over, the one Kai definitely was not there to see—

 _How did—?_

But there's no mistaking it. It's got the same scraggly, striped fur, the same spots over its left eye, the same devious look in its eyes as it bats at Lloyd's hand where it hovers over its fur, trembling. Lloyd blinks rapidly. He looks at Kai, then back at the cat. He blinks again.

"You have to be crazy strict with it, okay?" Kai says, grinning broadly. "I know it's like, a living, breathing pet, but I figured it'd be fine, 'cause you're pretty responsible when you want to be, and — oh, oh no, are you crying?"

"No," Lloyd croaks, even as he rubs his eyes on his sleeve, one hand tangled in the cat's fluffy fur, the other cradling it close to his chest.

"You _are_ ," Kai accuses. "No, Lloyd, stop that, you'll take me down with you—"

Lloyd launches forward, crashing into Kai and hugging him fiercely, the cat mewing in irritation where it's now stuck between their shoulders.

"You're my favorite person ever," he sniffles, clinging to Kai like he's a three year-old. But he can't find it in himself to care, because Kai went and got him his _cat_ —

"Of course I did," Kai huffs a laugh, scuffing Lloyd's hair as he hugs him back. "You're my baby brother. I'd kill a man for you."

"You — no one's ever managed something like that."

"Killed a man for you? 'Cause I can get on that, if you want—"

"No!" Lloyd hits Kai in the shoulder, snorting wetly. "I just mean…pet. Cat." He shakes his head, blown away. "You...you actually convinced Uncle Wu. That couldn't have been easy."

"Yeah! Uh," Kai laughs nervously, glancing to the side. "A _ha_. About that."

Lloyd eyes Kai critically as his cat starts pawing curiously at a longer lock of blond hair. "You didn't ask him, did you."

"Hey," Kai throws an arm around his shoulder, lifting the other in the air. "Blame your little dance pal. She's the one who pointed me down this awful path of insubordination."

Lloyd pauses in the midst of scratching his cat's ear (who he ought to name soon, really, maybe after one of Zane's ill-fated cookies, like gingersnap, or something) and brightens.

"You talked to Rachel?" He blinks rapidly, pieces clicking into place. "Hey, _that's_ why she already knew who you were!"

"Yup," Kai admits. "She had your cat all tagged and hidden away, waiting for you. She was pretty cool about it, actually. Got your little Darkley's friend in on it too."

Lloyd feels a bubble of warmth in his chest at that, and he beams. "See? I _told_ you she wasn't gonna kill me," he says, taking an odd pride in that statement. "Not everyone's out to get us."

Instead of bristling in defense, like Lloyd had expected him to, Kai's expression just melts into something soft and gooey, almost like relief. He squeezes the arm around Lloyd's shoulders tightly, smiling brightly.

"Yeah," he says. "Guess they're not, huh."

* * *

If anyone had asked Cole, the best way to spend the later half of Christmas Day is always to _relax_ , to kick back in your own home, maybe with a good movie and definitely with some good food, and spend the rest of the holiday doing absolutely nothing.

But no one asks Cole, so they all end up hiking to the town square through three feet of snow because someone apparently promised to show off _fireworks_ this year.

"What? I got asked by a sick kid," Kai sniffs through the cold, pulling his sweater sleeves over his hands as he grins. "I couldn't just say no."

"Technically, _Lloyd_ got asked by a sick kid, you're just helping out," Jay corrects. Kai tries to trip him in response, and they both end up with a face-full of snow.

"I think it's good that we're going to the gathering this year," Zane says, where he's linked arm in arm with Pixal and Echo, who are definitely taking advantage of the fact that he can freeze them a nice, solid path through the snow. "The city always invites us, it's about time we actually went."

"Gathering?" Echo frowns, sounding mildly trepidatious.

"It's an annual Christmas fair thing they put on," Nya says, huffing she helps yank Jay and Kai back to their feet. "The city sets up a big tree and a skating rink and vendors come and stuff, and a lot of people show up to celebrate."

Echo nods at the explanation, and Lloyd frowns, tucking his cat — and _hey_ , Cole told him five times to leave that at home — further into his jacket, where its head sticks up above his collar. "Why _don't_ we ever go to this?"

"Probably because we spend every other Christmas fighting for our lives," Kai mutters, as they finally crest the hill they've been hiking, the Ninjago City Town Square now in view, already crowded with people.

"Hey," Cole says, eyeing him in warning. "No depressing talk. We're dragging ourselves out this year, so we're gonna have fun."

"Oh, don't sound so miserable about it," Jay says cheerily, elbowing him in the side. "Look on the positive side — we're heroes, so they're gonna let us do everything for free."

Zane frowns at him. "I thought we agreed not to take advantage of the city like that—"

"Then _you_ turn down free hot chocolate, and I will enjoy eight cups of it," Jay responds, before grabbing Nya's hand and darting off for the vendors. The others follow close behind, bounding through the snow drifts toward the snow-cleared ground ahead, and Zane sighs. He looks at Cole, who simply laughs, slinging an arm around his shoulder.

"It's Christmas," he says. "May as well let 'em be hellions this once."

To Cole's immense relief, the team does _not_ immediately regress into wild hellions, though it's a close thing. Jay and Lloyd swipe entirely too much hot chocolate, and between Kai and himself the ice skating rink is definitely something they ought to have avoided, but it's really not so bad. They cause an immediate commotion when they arrive, of course, the gathered crowd growing steadily more excited as they realize _who's_ just shown up in a truly hideous assortment of knitted sweaters, but most people make a noticeable effort to treat them as they would anyone else, and Cole can be grateful for that. The majority of the people who don't are children, anyways, and Cole doesn't mind if he's asked a couple dozen times by beaming little kids if he really _is_ the Earth Ninja.

"That's me," he says, smiling back at the boy who barely comes up to his knee. The boy's eyes go wide beneath his knitted hat, and he turns, waving his arms wildly.

"Guys, guys, I told you, it's him!"

There's a rush of children toward him, and Cole feels a sudden sense of brief terror before a young girl shoves her way to the front of the group, waving at him.

"Mr. Earth Ninja!" she demands. "You didn't really teach them ballet, did you?"

Cole blinks, then looks beyond the girl at the other kids. He barks out a laugh, immediately recognizing two of them.

"Hey, they let you out of the hospital for Christmas, congrats," he says, holding up his hand to high-five them. The boy returns the gesture eagerly, and, after a wide-eyed beat, the girl does as well.

"Nobody believes us," the boy says, quickly. "I told them you knew all the positions and stuff, and taught 'em to us, but they said you're too cool for ballet."

Cole turns to look at the other kids, then scoffs. "Too cool for ballet? I make ballet very cool, thank you. How do you think I learned some of my best fighting moves?"

He makes a point _not_ to demonstrate said moves at the moment, because he's already bit the snow face-first at least twice on the way here, but the kids all look suitably impressed anyways. The two kids from the hospital look overwhelmingly smug, and for a good minute Cole fears he's going to end up teaching another ballet class right here in the middle of the city square, before Nya and Jay come to his rescue.

"Sorry, kiddos, you can come back for him some other time," Jay tells them cheerfully, one arm linked through Cole's. Nya's got his other one, solidly leading him away from the kids' disappointed faces.

"Merry Christmas, be good, all that stuff!" he yells at them haphazardly as he's dragged away. He's rewarded with several bright calls back, and he figures that's good enough.

"Really," Nya shakes her head. "You're as bad as Lloyd. We'd lose you both to random townspeople in minutes if we didn't stick together."

"Yeah, and you lecture _us_ for leaving the group," Jay chimes in.

"I'm being part of a proper society," Cole sniffs, in superiority. "Something you country bumpkins wouldn't know anything about."

Jay and Nya both go to step on his feet at once, and Cole, who knows enough to have been expecting it, makes sure they both stomp each other's feet instead. There's a brief moment of stumbling as they try not to trip over each other, before they finally right out, Cole snickering at them both.

"Cheap," Jay throws at him through narrowed eyes. "And rude. We're both excellent members of upstanding society."

"We're just not elite snobs like you," Nya adds, making a face.

Cole sputters. "I'm not a _snob_ —"

"Dance lessons, buddy. You're the most cultured snob in the group."

"What about _Zane?_ "

"Zane grew up in a forest in the middle of nowhere," Nya says. "Like, he's polite, but he's _Zane_."

They all glance over to where the ninja in question has finally given up fending off Echo and Pixal's pleas, and is sculpting massive figures of ice and snow from thin air, drawing larger and larger crowds of people.

"I mean," Cole tries again. "Technically, that's _like_ the elite."

"Face it, Cole, you're the only one who could survive in proper society," Jay says, sticking his tongue out and catching snowflakes where they drift lazily around them.

"Well, thank FSM you guys aren't proper society," Cole sighs, watching his breath mist out in front of him. "Maybe you can fully corrupt me one of these days."

Nobody even brings up Lloyd and Kai, who are huddled over near the edge of the town square, looking _terribly_ suspicious as they whisper to each other, the occasional spark emitting from Lloyd's hands before Kai nods, as if passing approval.

"That's going to end badly, isn't it," Nya remarks wearily, as she follows his gaze.

"Yup," Cole says.

"Oh, definitely," Jay nods.

They stare at them for a beat longer, swiveling between watching as Lloyd and Kai get more and more animated, and Zane's sculptures steadily growing larger the more excited Pixal gets.

"Wanna go get more hot chocolate?" Cole finally suggests.

Jay and Nya both nod in unison, and they turn, leaving their teammates to continue down their inevitable path of destruction on their own.

Sue him, it's Christmas. Both him _and_ Lloyd can afford to take the day off.

* * *

The fireworks go off without a hitch, which is almost as surprising as how well the rest of the afternoon goes.

Cole finds it surprisingly pleasant being out in the city, laughing with the others and talking with the people in the crowds that recognize them, and some that don't. It's been a while since they've interacted this casually with the city, and Cole finally remembers how much he enjoys it, being a normal person for the day, even if his fingers and nose are practically frost-bitten by the time the sun's set.

It doesn't hurt that his family looks much the same, all easy smiles and bright eyes, a distinct lack of the shadows that have lived on their faces for so long. Even Zane seems to catch the feeling of reckless abandon, and Cole spots him more than once doubled-over laughing as Jay's team loses to them in a snowball war once again.

Lloyd and Kai join in, of course, but they're fully devoted to the idea of fireworks, and it pays off. Cole's known full well how talented his brothers have gotten at controlling their powers, shaping them and forming them to their will just like the rest of them — but out of battle and away from the usual tense, rapid pressure they're under, this is the first time in a while he's getting to appreciate just _how_ far they've come.

"Oh, _wow_ ," Nya whistles lowly, watching the spectacular pinwheel of red and gold turn green, trailing off into intricate designs that branch across the night sky. "They're going all out, huh."

"I bet I could do better," Jay mutters under his breath, though Cole's caught a glint of appreciation in his eyes in the dim light more than once.

Another bright burst streaks across the sky, followed by loud cries of delight from their spectators. They fall silent, huddled comfortably next to the others as they watch, and it's almost nice enough for Cole to let it go.

Still, he can't resist.

"Sure you could, if you wanted to electrocute everyone."

Jay blanches. "I would not! Lloyd's probably gonna blow the whole city's lights out any _second_ now, just _watch_ —"

Cole cuts him off in laughter, shaking his head as another bright firework goes off.

The lazy feeling of relaxation doesn't leave him, not even after they've hiked the good few miles back through the snow in the dark to the _Bounty_ , all shivering by the time they clamber through the door. No one moves to go to bed, or even simply leave the room, so they all end up in a messy sort of pile on the rug against the couch, which is more comfortable than it should be in the end.

An odd sort of quiet falls over the ship after that, one that's muddled with quiet conversations and rustling of paper, the whistling of the wind against their windows mixed with the low crooning of the radio about _merry little christmases._ It's an almost exhausted kind of quiet, tinged with the content kind of relief that often comes after battles. Like Cole's lifted a particularly heavy wall, and his arms are sore but it's the _good_ kind of sore, because the wall gave way and his team didn't.

There's a part of him, one that he tries to ignore, that keeps reminding him how much the quiet sounds like the hospital, and the reminder crawls up his spine uncomfortably.

But then there's a screech of mewing and a startled cry from Garmadon, Lloyd yelping as he hurries over to free his father from his new cat, and Cole is reminded of the stark differences between _that_ kind of quiet, and this one.

Jay gives a quiet snort from his side, shifting in his sleep, muttering incoherently before slipping back under. Cole feels a smile pulling at the edges of his mouth, and he can't find it in himself to be even slightly bothered that his left side has completely fallen asleep with Jay's weight against it.

No, he thinks, watching as Lloyd tucks himself back against Kai, murmuring happily to his cat as he lets it climb all over his lap. He can't find it in himself to begrudge the closeness. A while ago, maybe, it would have bothered him, his personal space being smashed to bits like this.

Now, it's just a confirmation that everyone's here. That they're fine.

Which they are, Cole reminds himself, and isn't that an odd sentence to run through his head with certainty. _They're all fine._ For the first time in a while, it doesn't feel like a lie.

Cole shifts in his seat, biting back a yawn as he forces his drooping eyelids back open. It's impossibly warm where he is, despite how cold it seems outside, and it's only serving to drag him closer to looking exactly like Jay right now. He shifts, blinking in the dim lights from the tree as he glances around the room.

He finally meets Sensei Wu's gaze from across the floor, where he's huddled over the photo album with his brother. Sensei smiles at him, wide and full, and Cole smiles back, nodding his head. He glances back down to where Jay's sleeping on his shoulder, then to Kai where he's taken up his other side, serving as a pillow for both Nya and Lloyd. Both look to be on the verge of dozing off, Lloyd dragging an absent hand through his cat's fur where it rests on his lap, both of them tucked under Kai's arm. Zane's at Jay's side, Pixal's head on his shoulder as he quietly swirls snowflakes in his hand for Echo to watch, but he meets Cole's eyes briefly to form a smile, his eyes tired but happy.

Cole feels something in his chest click into place, and he leans back against the couch, tightening his hold on his family. Some holiday, huh. It's never been exactly easy for them, but it's never gotten quite this dark before, either, and the memories of what he'd almost lost aren't going to fade anytime soon.

And he knows, despite the peace that's lingered over them this time, that it won't last. Sometime in the future, they're going to be in danger again. Him and Lloyd will have to navigate those impossible choices again, the _Bounty's_ going to get destroyed again, and he's a fool if he thinks that no one will ever get hurt again.

But those thoughts are for another Cole, another time. He can make as many plans as he wants, he can wish himself silly for the future, pin fragile hopes on even more fragile hopes.

But right now, sitting in their home, with his family around him, alive and safe….

Well, that's all he can ask for, really.


End file.
